Brother Kal
by SMSA
Summary: During an invasion by the Daemonite army, led by Helspont, a new Superman from outer space emerges. Superman must fight off a Daemonite invasion while grappling with this strange visitor... and the shocking truth about his origins.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Prologue**

A couple holding each other.  
Each grabbing the other for support.  
The heat buffeting them. It's scorching. It'll leave a mark.  
They don't notice it. They don't even care. All they care about is being there.  
They will not see their boy again.  
The silvery-blue spaceship shoots through the opening in the ceiling, sending a lonely, innocent infant away from its parents.  
"He will be safe. He will be safe." Repeated Jor-El, the greatest scientist on his planet, and in his moment of hope and triumph as his boy's great cradle was flying through the air the pang of realisation hit him: the boy is safe, but alone.  
His wife, Lara, stood silently. She was bred to be a warrior. To fight. She was taught to stay calm, never giving away emotion. Yet even she allowed a single tear to fall from her eye. She didn't move to wipe it away. How could she, starring at an empty space?  
Her boy is no longer there.  
By this time their young son, Kal, is gone. Alive, but gone.  
The building rumbled as the planet collapsed. The ground underneath their feet gave way. They fell, still holding one another. Still staring at the last place their son had occupied in the heavens. Not a cry was uttered. Not a word spoken. The cacophony of the buildings surrounding them as the city fell to rubble would have drowned anything. The fires which had engulfed the planet with molten lava from the core were spreading.  
Had the infant known, he may have turned around to see the last moments of his planet. But he did not know of all those things. He only knew he had no warmth, and his mother and father were all gone. He did not know where or why. He just felt emptiness. Loneliness.  
Sadness.  
He didn't even feel the shaking of his craft from the explosion. He was gone, and behind him a planet was no more, it was just ashes and rubble. Large stones floating, disjointed. Showing nothing but barrenness.

Far away, some time later, a couple is standing in a field. Car nearby and the house in the distance. The night sky is always so pretty in Kansas. So many stars. The sonic booms from military jets during training flights were disturbing the otherwise complete silence. But somehow they lent a mystical element to the night: anything could be coming. Maybe, even, that sought-for child that would not happen. That birth which cannot be. The adoption that may happen yet.  
Another boom, and a glint in the sky. But it's different. It is approaching. No one notices it. The radar viewers call it a glitch and move on. It is unseen by all, except for that couple, Jonathan and Martha, in the field staring at the sky.  
The ship crashed into their field in a storm of soil and dust. The heat burned the crops around it and the winds that gushed around snuffed out the flaming crops. The noise was one large blast which resembled a sonic boom with a hint of breaking bricks. But much, much louder. The couple, crouched down and praying to stay alive, that they will both be fine.  
Somehow, miraculously, they were.  
The dust and soil slowly settled, and the couple stood up. Both covered in dust. As it settled, Martha dragged Jonathan to the crash site.  
They expected a meteor.  
But instead, they received an answer to a prayer.  
They received a son.  
Kal-El. The last son of Krypton.

One of them.

In between the origin and the destination, there was a cloud. A cloud within the fabric of space. What was it made of? Jor-El never found out. It moved around, and was of a very rare kind. Its gifts were a mystery to all but it..  
The ship passed through such a cloud of unknown energy and potentials. The ship rocked. Shrunk. Enlarged. And then continued on its path to Earth. To Kansas.  
But another ship. The same ship. A replica, or the original, one cannot know. If one were to look at it, there would be no difference between them, not one. That other ship veered away, and landed someplace else. A different planet.


	2. Chapter 2: An Entrance

**Chapter Two: An Entrance**

"There he is."  
"No, he's there."  
"No, he's there now."  
"Definitely much faster than a speeding bullet these days!"  
Zooming from one place to another was Superman.  
Superman and Flash, actually. Once again an invading army had decided to come. Though this time there were no provocations.  
It had been a normal Wednesday until three hours ago. Each person going about their own business, when an alert came to the Watchtower. The force came without any provocation and started raining down hell. The primary warning systems hadn't activated, the scans were not complete in time. This force was too great. Wonder Woman took the charge with Cyborg and Aquaman. Taking on the ground units that were deployed on the Western coast. Superman and the Flash were doing the same in Metropolis, while Green Lantern, accompanied by the Red Lanterns, was taking the fight to space. Batman was coordinating and assisting Superman and Flash. Of course many other heroes were around. Supergirl. Martian Manhunter. Shazam. All doing things that often the citizens couldn't even see. If it hadn't been life threatening it could easily have been magnificent.  
The great hordes of aliens were spewing down upon the Earth. Never had an army attacked Earth in such a manner. No preliminaries, no warning. These guys didn't care. But Superman knew who they were. He knew that Helspont had returned. But why now?  
He thought a bit too long: a ray gun managed to hit him; it shot him through three buildings. Luckily they didn't collapse. Luckily.  
"That hurt," said Superman, shrugging it off.  
"Superman, move into the left flank, there are too many there," came the hoarse voice. That know-it-all voice they'd all come to appreciate and respect. Batman. If he said so, you did so. It wasn't ever a true order, but it was always the best tactical choice.  
"On my way," and with that Superman flew over to the platoon of robots there. The metal looking armour was tough, his X-ray vision was no real help right now, he couldn't see any real weak point in them. So blunt force had to be the way.  
Makes it easier, less thinking, he thought to himself as he slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that affected quite a large portion of the robots around him.

There are many sounds on the battlefield. The clanging of swords, the boom of explosions, the grunting of the fighter. Yet these were not heard by him; he was moving so fast that he wasn't able to hear anything truly distinct. That was the way he lived, he was the fastest man alive, after all. He is the Flash. His super speed meant that each hit he gave, though respectively wasn't full force, made a huge impact. Which meant that even he could destroy these robots. It also helps that I can create these controlled whirlwinds, he thought as he sent three robots flying. Dodging one blade, he was stuck in front of a robot, no room for evasion. So we go through him, he thought, and vibrated through the robot. On his way out, he grabbed a few parts and ripped them out. Causing the robot to explode. Vibrating kept him unscathed. The Flash kept fighting, zooming through the enemy. Rarely being seen. Always being felt.

Slowly, the battle was beginning to be won. The large portion of the alien fleet in space had been destroyed. Green Lantern saw an opening. He veered left, and visualising it, he created a huge hand wielding a golf club.  
"Fore!" He yelled, and smashed an alien attack ship into a bigger ship.  
"Screw you, bastards!" yelled Guy Gardener, as he created for himself a space ship of red energy, the colour of rage, And bore down on one ship. The ship he created made a kamikaze manoeuvre into another large ship. Both went down. He smiled and turned around. A cannon was pointing right at him. He quickly crated a shield, but nothing happened. Then an explosion occurred, and Guy was swept away.  
"Gotcha," he heard. Of course it was Hal, always there to gloat after a save. Guy was lying on a bed. A hateful green-coloured bed.  
"Yeah yeah, I had it covered," said Guy.  
"Of course you did. You always like flying away in a tumble."  
They looked at the destroyed ship. That was the last of them.  
"So the last one goes to you, I see," said Guy Gardener.  
"I didn't do that," said Hal.  
"Then who did?"  
"I did," came Superman's voice. And there he was, standing in front of them. Arms folded. Perfect hair. But the suit... It was different. It was a dark blue, very dark. And the S on his shield was a crimson red with not yellow but green in the background. The cape was crimson, but had a pattern of gold at its hem. And unlike Superman's cape, it didn't end at a point but in a line. On a closer look, he looked a little… Tanned?  
"New suit, supes?" asked Guy.  
"Aren't you meant to be on the ground?" asked Hal.  
Superman smiled and flew off. Neither Hal nor Guy saw it. It was just that fast. Hal always had a weird feeling when it happened. He'd known Superman for a long time, but Hal never liked the fact that someone was faster than him, not even the Flash.

Left, right parry, parry, stab, withdraw.  
Right, right throw, catch, stab, withdraw.  
It was a rhythm. Something she had done for years and years. It was almost a dance. In some cultures, dancing was something that the best warriors could do. Wonder Woman was very good at fighting. Superb. Probably the best trained for it, only matched in the Justice League by Batman, and even then not truly. Aquaman was a bit more dramatic, more brute force. Then again, he was using a trident.  
"I'm still not able to home in on the signal they're using, Batman." Came Cyborg's voice on the comms.  
"Keep trying, Cyborg."  
"SHAZAM!"  
A bolt of lightning came down from the sky. It shattered quite a few of those robots and toppled a few low-storey buildings. It can happen.  
Shazam and Cyborg, the youngest member in the Justice League. It's almost befitting that the least experienced Should be with the most experienced. Though both of them were doing just fine.  
"Come on, 'borgy, don't make me take out all of them."  
Shazam always seemed to take things lightly, but Wonder Woman knew it was a front. He was very serious. So like Hal, but so much purer of heart. Purest, if the wizard spoke the truth.  
"Shazam, focus on the task at hand," said Batman. He had no use nor time for games. How that attitude lasted after training four robins is unclear.  
"Main ship is down. I repeat, main ship is down. We're coming back," said Hal.  
"West coast is almost clear as well," said Aquaman. It was true.  
"I'm almost done," said Superman.  
"Weren't you already done?" asked Hal.  
"No, why?"  
"We just saw you. You destroyed the big ship. In a new suit."  
"You're not funny, ugh, Hal. I was here all the time."  
"He's not joking, we saw you," said Guy.  
"If it wasn't you," said Batman, "then who was it?"  
Superman turned around, just one more large tank and it would be over.  
Boom!  
The tank exploded, and debris flew everywhere. As the smoke cleared Superman saw that it was split in half. And by something moving fast. Very fast. Then he saw it. Him. The odd one out.  
The Flash, as he skidded to a halt next to Superman, said: "Batman, I think I found the answer,"  
Inside the ruins of the tank, stood Superman. The other Superman. With the crimson cape. Arms folded.  
Superman, stood up, still on guard. His voice was unwavering, confident and only slightly aggressive: "so, who are you?"  
The other Superman smiled slyly.


	3. Chapter 3: Tsunami

Chapter Three: Tsunami

The Watchtower. A great spaceship orbiting Earth. Headquarters of the Justice League. For Hal and Clark, this wasn't weird at all: they never minded being in space. But for Aquaman, it always felt a bit weird. Like he was out of place. Being on land is one thing, but space was a quite different. Batman, as with everything else, was not phased by it. Or if he was, he never betrayed a sign that that was the case.  
The Justice League was assembled: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, Green Lantern, the Flash and Shazam. All standing in the conference room. It was a simple grey room like most of the others. Except this one was larger. It was circular and connected to the bridge which was through a set of automatic doors. It also connected, through a short corridor, to the kitchen. A third door led to the elevators which would transfer a person to the rest of the rooms.  
In the centre of the room was a small platform. On the platform was a grey table. It was round and metallic. Upon it was a holographic projector. Surrounding it were high backed chairs made of simplistic metal. The tops of the chairs were shaped into a point. All chairs were the same. All members were equal. Though somehow, even though they had all created the team together, the Trinity seemed to be in charge. Superman. Wonder Woman. Batman. Those three seemed to quarrel at times, but they were still always the leaders. Even though there were no real leaders.  
Hal was last to join the table. He'd had to call back and tell the Guardians that he may be a bit late.  
Some floors beneath them was a man. But not a man. A Superman. An exact likeness of our Superman. Of Clark. The test results were coming in. Though they were minimal at best, only what Batman could attain using subterfuge. This person came with no ill intention, so far, thought Batman.  
"This meeting has started," they were all seated, looking solely at Batman. "Obviously we destroyed the alien forces. Though we don't know why they attacked or if we will have to be prepared for another attack. Cyborg, do you have any Intel on how they got past our security?"  
"Actually, yes. They used a cloaking device. I managed to connect to parts of their mainframe before it was destroyed, and the tech that Hal collected was useful in making a full analysis. They were using a scrambling device to hide their frequency and a cloaking device to boot. This tech is more advanced than anything I've seen on Apokolips. The worrying thing is that they also moved fast. Very fast. By my readings and their data, the earliest we would've received data of their approach is ten to fifteen minutes before their attack, depending on what ship was the target for our scans."  
"We need to find a way to be ready," said Wonder Woman, "Victor, is there anything we can do to give us more time?"  
"Actually, yes. I've reconfigured the relays and sent a couple of satellites further ahead, we should be able to know of an attack an hour in advance."  
"Who attacked us?" asked Flash, he was sitting in his chair but he was so energised that he was almost vibrating. He was always a little hyper when he put on the flash suit.  
"Daemonites," said Superman.  
"Clark, are you sure?" asked Wonder Woman.  
"He's right. My ring said the same. But why now?" asked Green Lantern.  
"Last time we met, Helspont said that he wants us to save the Earth, because that way the human gene pool stays as large as possible. He may have changed his mind. Or maybe it's something else," said Superman. He was leaning his elbows on the table, and his right hand was engulfing his left fist about a centimetre from his face. He was worried, maybe even scared. They all noticed. And a shiver passed around them. Even Batman knew how bad it must be.  
"He's not the only one with power. There were two other Daemonite leaders. That much the Guardians know," said Green Lantern, "and they all have their sights on Earth."  
"Then we should be ready for another invasion. This cannot be the only wave of attack."  
"There is only one Lord of the Daemonites. Helspont. The rest are dead. I know this for certain," said a voice. It was Superman's, but Clark hadn't spoken. Just before the voice spoke, the alarm went off. They all got up and turned around. It was the other one. Hovering with his arms folded in front of him.  
"Please turn off the alarm, I am not going to hurt you. I would not have just stood here if I was."  
Batman turned the alarm off, no one removed their eyes from this other Superman. And both Superman and Wonder Woman were already on their feet. The Flash was on the intruder's flank, and yet the intruder seemed nonchalant. Hovering with his hands folded, looking at the table filled with the heroes without so much as a glance towards the Flash.  
"I heard you and I thought I'd shed some light. The two other Daemonite leaders are dead. I know this because they were warring with each other over my planet. Helspont was not present. One destroyed the other. I don't know which was which, but when the victor tried to conquer us, they were destroyed."  
"Who are you?"  
"I am what I am."  
"And what is that?" asked Batman, he was in no mood for riddles.  
"What you see before you."  
"What's your name?"  
"My name is Emmet, that was the name my adoptive parents gave me. When they found me inside a ship. My biological father named me something else. He called me Kal-El."  
They all stared, not sure what to say.  
Superman stood there, analysing his duplicate's body. DNA. Everything. It was all identical. He knew. With super speed and microscopic vision, it was obvious. They were the same. At least physically.  
"What are you doing here?" asked Aquaman, hand on his trident. The tension seemed to be festering. Like a gas leak, which is detectable only by a smell, not seen, yet felt. Known. Ready for something, anything, to set it off.  
"I'm here, simply, to see my clone. Or my original. Tough to say," said Emmet.  
"How? Who duplicated me? Brainiac? Darkseid?" asked Superman, cautious. Cautious not to let his voice betray the confusion in his head. He was trying to recount every cloning attempt made by Luthor, his captured time with Brainiac, his battles on Apokolips. Any time he may have been unable to stop samples of himself being taken.  
"That I will tell you in private. For one of us, it was birth. You have a lot of questions. I have no secrets."  
"How do we know you're not a threat?" asked Batman. So quick to ask the question. So desperate to find an answer to it.  
"The same way your world knows you are not a threat: trust."  
"How did you find me?" asked Superman.  
"I would rather discuss this with you in private," said Emmet. There was no malice in his voice. Nothing to betray him in any way.  
The alert came on.  
"Tsunami in the Philippians," said Batman, reading it off the holographic projector on the table, "GL, escort him to the guest rooms. Join us when you finish doing that."  
"Which guest room?" asked Lantern.  
"Thirty-four. I'll stay and coordinate from here. You guys get going."  
They all left reluctantly. All feeling very ill at ease with the notion of a stranger with such great power residing at the home. They had no doubt that Batman could handle himself. If anyone could, it was him. They all probably knew why he was staying behind. He'd never miss an opportunity to help, and it seemed obvious even to Emmet.  
The fliers flew there. Cyborg teleported the Flash and Aquaman to the island. Lantern left escorting their guest.

It wasn't anything that was out of the ordinary. A tsunami of this magnitude wasn't a huge deal compared to invading aliens. Superman dove down to the core while the others went to the island. Aquaman swam over to Superman to help. They had to try and remove some of the water from there, without causing a tsunami someplace else, or a monsoon. So a combination of freeze breath and heat vision was the way to go, while Aquaman cleared the sea.  
The island wasn't really an island; rather it was a peninsula. The village was resting at the foot of a volcano, with a few more villages behind it and on another side of the volcano. The beach was a beautiful, impeccably clean and golden sand stretched for miles, as if no man had ever stepped there. There was some greenery and fields of crops. It seemed like all manner of vegetation grew in those fields. Something didn't add up, thought Batman, seeing the fields from Cyborg's relay camera. He pushed the thought to the side for the moment.  
Shazam and the Flash were there and went about the first mission: saving the villagers that hadn't moved far enough. Going from building to building at super speed, removing all the people from harm's way. For Shazam, there was nothing more fulfilling than saving people from things that could not be controlled. Things people can't defeat, but that aren't malevolent in their core: just a natural event. The Flash was slightly struggling as the earthquakes were shifting him around.  
"Guys, I'm getting worried about this seismic activity," said Flash.  
"Cyborg, can you get a reading on these volcanoes?" asked Wonder Woman, as she dropped another rock into the sea to try and make a sea wall, "I don't want to have to deal with something like that as well without knowing so in advance."  
Boom!  
"You still want that reading?" asked Cyborg. The volcano emitted its great ashen cloud and was shooting debris everywhere.  
"What do we do?" asked Shazam, "I may be able to turn some of the lava into sto-Uff!"  
He got hit by a great rock from the debris coming off of the island's volcano. The earthquakes were continuing, which meant that more waves will be formed. The village could not handle it. They needed Superman both there and here with the volcano.  
"We need to place a barrier to stop the lava," said the Flash.  
"Seems like I came at the right time," said Green Lantern, shining a bright green light upon the scene. Superman could hear all this, even though he was zipping through the world, dispersing water around it as soon as a tsunami wave began to form.  
"Arthur," said Batman, "get to the island and help there."  
Ever present, the Bat of Gotham wouldn't be missing from action if he could help it. Ever.  
"SHAZAM!"  
A lightning bolt shot from the sky, turning a segment of lava to stone.  
"How is that even possible?" asked Flash, who allowed himself a hundredth of a second, which for him was more than a moment, to look at the feat.  
"Magic, Flash, magic. SHAZAM!"  
He kept firing magic at the lava, while the others built a wall facing the erupting volcano using the rocks around the volcano. The Flash's super speed allowed him to move big stones, but it was Aquaman that moved the larger ones. In front of this wall, Green Lantern was building a ditch using a very large tractor created by his Green Lantern ring. Wonder Woman was doing her best to help bring great rocks from the mountains and volcano to help build the wall. Every now and then Superman would come with a large glacier created with his freeze breath and throw it on the volcano.  
"We have to get rid of the ash," said Green Lantern, I can do that, but where should I dump it?"  
"Disperse it over the fields in small quantities, that would be alright. The rest we can have Firestorm take care of. I'm sure we could find good use for it," said Flash.  
"Alright, on it," said Green Lantern, and flew up to the sky, he had a small green shield to protect him from the flying debris. Having let his tractor construction evaporate, he created a great vacuum cleaner and sucked up the great forming ash cloud.  
"I think this is probably the first time I've used a vacuum cleaner," said Green Lantern.  
"No time like the present," was the Flash's answer.  
"Focus GL," said Batman in a slightly crispier voice.  
"Relax Batman, I'm just cleaning hou-" an exploding boulder stopped him mid-sentence, he didn't notice it but behind the rubble of the stone stood Shazam, grinning.  
"Ok, maybe a bit more focus is called for."  
Shazam gave a slight salute and rushed off, feeling slightly smug. An explosion brought him out of it.  
"Thanks," said Shazam, as Wonder Woman was the one that destroyed the rock heading towards him from behind. She didn't even salute, just flew off to continue her work.  
Boys, so cocky, she thought as she tossed another rock for Aquaman to load upon the wall.  
"Cyborg, how's the wall coming along?" asked Batman, as he saw the events unfold before his eyes, wanting to be on the ground, but knowing he was truly needed where he was.  
"It's going alright," said Cyborg, as he melted the rocks a little and refroze them as a substitute for mallet. The wall was already four meters high, and the length of the village. The ditch was also done; the village was secure.  
"GL, I'm sending you the co-ordinates of the fields. Spread the ash there. The rest can go in an abandoned warehouse I know of, it's the perfect place for Firestorm to practice his abilities," said Cyborg.  
"Got it," said Green Lantern and sped off. He met Superman on the way, and they exchanged a smile. Superman was carrying a glacier, again. The smile lasted just one second. But that was enough. Superman's smile made things feel alright, like everything will be alright. Not that GL ever gave way to doubt on that front. He always thought he'd make it home alive. He never feared.  
He didn't allow himself to feel fear, not without overcoming it in a second.  
It was his job.  
The tsunami has been taken care of, thought Superman. He was at the time in the Atlantic Ocean dumping a bit of ice near a glacier, hoping he wasn't making a mistake placing the water there. He rushed back towards the island, it wasn't more than a few seconds, but he felt like he was already too late. He made it just in time to stop a piece of flying lava from hitting Aquaman in the face. A nod was his 'thank you'.  
It was enough, they had a job to do. With Superman's added super speed and super strength the wall was constructed fully with an added density. It took only a few minutes. Shazam and Superman, along with Aquaman and Wonder Woman, helped deepen and broaden the ditch in front of the wall, while the Flash and Cyborg had another look to ensure that the perimeter was clear. It was. they so rarely missed people in the first round nowadays.  
"Justice League, well done." came Steve Trevor's voice over the comms. He shared a link with the League, "The area is clear and it seems that you have managed to save the village."  
"Always here to help," said Wonder Woman.  
"That should be your motto," said Steve Trevor.  
"No way, that's sucks!" said Shazam. A little smile passed across the faces of Wonder Woman and Superman. And if Batman had had the capacity to smile, he might've done so as well.  
"We're not getting into this again," said the Flash, stopping any ongoing debate that might've been coming. As there always was.  
"Why? You haven't heard my latest one!" said Shazam.  
"Shazam, it can't be any good with your batting average," said Green Lantern. "Now I, for example, have a great batting average when it comes to things of that sort."  
"Sorry GL, but I can't agree with you there," said Flash.  
"Justice League, back to the Watchtower. Now." came Batman's voice. None had forgotten, but no one wanted to be reminded about their guest. Superman was already on his way there, but was taking his time. He'd always thought he was the last son of Krypton. Lara's arrival, as well as Zod and his army, had changed that. He could live with that. But what if he wasn't the original Superman, the real Kal-El? What if his father, wasn't actually his father? This was the way he'd felt when he'd first learned of his adoption. Better to face the truth than shy away from it, thought Superman, and picked up the pace to get to the Watchtower.  
As he entered through the air lock, the rest of the team was teleported back. He beat them by about three seconds.  
They moved through the hallways, chatting idly, but that was a front. On their minds were all the same questions, but each one took it differently. The majority of them were worried. They knew what a bad Kryptonian could do, who knew what this one could do? Did he gain different powers due to different surroundings? They could only hope for the best.  
Hope, that was Superman's thing. His ideology, his way of life. They followed suit, in their own way.  
The reconvened at the table once again.  
"Well done. I have a mission for you when we're done, Cyborg."  
"Alright," said Cyborg. If Batman didn't say what it was, it was because he had more pressing issues to attend to. They trusted him. Not always the best idea, but they did. It was usually rewarded by good results. Superman never quite agreed with Batman's methods, but that's why the Justice League was so important: they restrained each other.  
"I've completed scans and some tests on our guest," said Batman. A few years ago there would have been surprise that he'd done that, especially when it came to how. Now there was little surprise, only respect and appreciation for this man's craftiness and ability.  
"Am I right in assuming he's a clone?" asked Superman, hoping and also fearing the answer.  
"He is completely identical to you in physiology. As I'm sure you inspected as well, his DNA matches yours perfectly. There is no sign of degenerating tissue or of anything of the sort. He is a perfect copy of you. As to his story, I can't say. His appearance here just as we're being attacked is proof enough that he has an agenda. Or that he was waiting to make an entrance. He speaks fluent English and with no detectable accent of any kind but American. He could have been raised here for all we know."  
"What's the likelihood of that?" asked Aquaman.  
"Not likely, my facial recognition software hasn't found any trace of him on the planet. I'm expanding the search, but I seriously doubt I'll find anything," said Cyborg. Batman nodded, but in his heart he felt a pang of sympathy: Vic didn't sleep. Didn't eat. And he was always connected to the networks around the world. He never got to rest. Never got to be a complete human.  
"I doubt he came from Earth, Bruce," said Green Lantern. "When he came in to help us, he came from a trajectory that would've been from Jupiter. The scans my ring made revealed his energy signature coming from far away. Unless he left Earth a whole ago, he didn't emerge from there when we met him."  
"What about his suit?" asked Shazam. "Anything special there?"  
"His suit is similar to Superman's, for all but one thing: it's tougher. I can't even start analysing any of the data unless I get to hold the suit, and that technology is beyond Earth's for sure," replied Batman, hesitating for a moment. They all knew: he would really want a suit that's tough like that.  
"Is he stronger than me?" asked Superman. Deep silence fell on the group, Superman had asked the question on everyone's mind, and they all dreaded the answer.  
"His cells are stronger than yours. It seems he has either been exposed to more sunlight than you, or he has become more efficient at utilising it. That's quite evident by the fact that he is slightly more tanned than you. My guess is that his suit helps with solar light absorption as well. But from the tests I ran on his cells, they absorb the same amount as you do. He is stronger, but not in a way that you can't be. Theoretically," said Batman, with great hesitation. Superman was powerful enough as it is. Should he really be doing this? Helping Superman get stronger? He trusted Clark, and he would probably keep trusting him. But this, this could be dangerous.  
"Does Kryptonite work on him as it does on Clark?" asked Wonder Woman.  
"All the data points to that conclusion. But I won't know until I try it on him. The few cells I found with the help of GL weren't enough to give me an accurate conclusion," said Batman. But what it really meant was that he may be without weakness. But he's still beatable, there's always a way, thought Batman.  
"Where is he now?" asked Flash, still vibrating to a small extent. Green Lantern always joked that the Flash got so anxious sometimes he'd end up at the centre of the Earth. It was funnier before the discovery of Subterranea.  
"He's in his room. I don't think he will talk to us, but I'm sure he will talk to you, Clark." Batman, as well as the others, looked at him. Batman had brought them together, Wonder Woman gave them the passion, but in many ways it was Superman who led them. The big gun. The guy who would never do the wrong thing. It was all his choice now, and they all wanted in. He sat there, chin on his fist. The weight of the world resting on his shoulders. They all felt that way sometimes. Batman learned to see it as his calling, and to think himself the only one able to do so. Superman, he was a bit closer to humanity. He tried not to think about it.  
"I'll go talk to him," said Superman, knowing full well that the League had his back. They always had, always will.  
"Alright. Comms up. Flash, Shazam, I want you guys close by, something funny happens and you get in there. Wonder Woman and Aquaman, you're on back up. GL. I want you outside securing the Watchtower if anything should happen. Cyborg and I will take control from here," said Batman. Always issuing orders, always the master tactician. Always one step ahead.  
They all dispersed, all but Superman and Batman.  
"You're worried," said Batman.  
"Shouldn't I be? If what he said is right, I may just be a clone... That throws your life into perspective."  
"Maybe, but focus, Clark. And besides, even if you are a clone, I'm already sure you're better than the original."  
That raised a smile on Clark's face.  
"Thanks Bruce."  
"We've got your back."  
It was a call to duty, but it was also a friendly remark. Every now and then, Bruce had a way to lift your spirits.


	4. Chapter 4: Q & A

Chapter Four: Q & A

Superman walked the corridors leading to the room where Emmet was. He was being held there of his own free will. That was obvious with the way he'd dismantled the security before. Superman entered the room. There was a window with a view of Earth. There was a double bed in the centre of the room with its back to the furthest wall. The room wasn't big. There was a closet on one side and a bathroom on the other side. The colouring of the room was silver-white; it made it look simplistic and yet not unwelcoming. One could turn the colouring in the room to a different setting, this was the default.  
"So, Superman. How was the tsunami?" asked Emmet. He was standing with his back to Superman and with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at Earth with an air of relaxation, of safety in the knowledge that he's the strongest one out there.  
"I assume you saw?" asked Superman,  
"Yes, I did. Quite efficient work, I can see why you enjoy working with this team. They are truly your equals. Even the human."  
"We are all equals everywhere, Emmet."  
"I do not understand, however, why you chose to save them."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Why save them? I do not mean that you should let them die. But surely, looking at the technology here, you could have given those people the technology to defend themselves."  
"Not everyone has access to such technology, their infrastructure isn't able to hold it."  
"You do not rule here."  
"No, we don't."  
"You are outside of the law."  
"We are not tied to any government."  
"So you are your own nation, adhering to your own rules."  
"In a way, yes. But we don't act as a nation. We also act within the United States-"  
"Of America. I did some research before I came. You act there outside of the law. And the law, helpless without you to defend it from these threats, and unable to fight you, allows your existence to continue. How intriguing."  
"Not so. We are here to help. We proved to the world that we are here to help, and we do not play judge and jury."  
"You do not?"  
"You suggest otherwise?"  
Emmet turned around and looked at Superman, his look gave a hint of condescension. But mainly he looked like a teacher that was teaching a pupil something fundamentally easy and obvious.  
"To enter a building one needs a warrant. To arrest someone, one needs a warrant. Those are only received from judges. You judge the situation and decide how to act. You decide that, and that is the job of the judge. No, Superman, you are taking control. You are judge and jury, you just don't execute death warrants. You do not issue those. Noble."  
"You really have done your research, or is that how it works on your home planet?"  
"Similar, I too was like you: helping others, not allowing political agendas to become a handicap upon my desire to help others. But the issue is, that at some stage, you realise that these people cannot be helped by acts of kindness without pattern or agenda. So I started to help governments build. That is the next stage. Even for you, all of you: to share your technology with the world."  
"One man's tool is another man's weapon."  
"Very true, but now you are once again acting as judge and jury, as well as condescending. You trust yourself and your friends to that not switch sides. You want to save this Earth and the people in it, without trusting them. What is the point of them being saved, then?"  
"We try not to interfere with human progress."  
"You already have. It is all different now because you are here. Your obligation is to share your technology. To help humanity better itself, not just by example. What if the man who invented electricity kept it all for himself alone? It would have died with him."  
"When the time is right, humanity will be able to create this technology on its own."  
"Perhaps, but you could make that happen earlier."  
"How do you know so much about us and the way we do things?"  
"You are actually asking who created me, are you not?"  
"Yes."  
"I assume that you have some suspects,"  
"A few."  
"Well, I can tell you honestly that I was not created, not by cloning devices at least. Have you heard of a galactic cloud?"  
"Never."  
"It is a form of being. Sentient. Very ancient. Very rare. Their power has been studied for many years on my planet. Part of their repertoire is replicating objects and organic material. Perfect copies. My ship, or your ship, entered that cloud and a copy was made. Whether you are the original or not is not known."  
"My father said that he sent me here for a reason. He named Earth specifically."  
"Mine named my planet specifically as well. Could be that the cloud we passed through manipulated the data. That would not be beyond its capabilities according to one scientist on my planet."  
"And how do you know we went through one?"  
"If you track the path of the ship from Krypton, both mine and yours go through the same path and then split. At the point that they split there was a sighting of said galactic cloud. We know so much because we researched them. We still are. Our father was also very insightful with his notes on the topic."  
"I haven't come across that part of his data."  
"How much of father's notes have you studied?"  
Superman stood in silence, he had barely looked through his father's research. He didn't research into his father's work unless he needed something. Like a child.  
"How do you know so much about me and the Justice League?" asked Superman, trying to regain control of this conversation.  
"We have satellites that can transmit and receive information from very far. I researched you and the Justice League when I was discovered about the change in flight path and the replication. I could get most of your communications in the media, I will grant that your security here is quite formidable, I could not get into your mainframe here in the, what did you call it?"  
"The Watchtower."  
"That is a great name. So I researched, learnt the language. Then came here."  
"Pretty lucky that you came when you did, after an invasion from the Daemonites."  
"Helspont left for Earth after he came for my planet."  
"What did he want with your planet?"  
"To test for the genetic markers he needs in my planet's population: he needs it in order to restore his species."  
"That's what he told me. He then left, saying that he will be back when the people are ready. Maybe he found the right person?"  
"Impossible. He needs what would probably be the population of a few nations of your planet for his scheme to work. Either he has grown impatient and has decided to take matters into his own hands, or there is something else."  
"And you said there is no other leader of the Daemonites?"  
"None. We saw to that. The other two just wanted to destroy."  
"Superman, we need the team on the bridge, now." came Batman's voice over the Watchtower's speakers.  
"Come on, then," said Superman, "let's see you in action."  
Emmet smiled and followed Superman. The team quickly assembled in the bridge, all slightly on edge, making sure Emmet was constantly within sight.  
"You sure we can trust him?" asked Batman, he knew better than to trust some random Kryptonian, especially after overhearing all that he'd had to say.  
"I trust him," said Superman, and they both knew what the plan was: See Emmet in action, and maybe they could excavate more data about him.  
"There is an earthquake in Denmark-" began Batman.  
"Denmark? Since when does that happen?" asked Flash.  
"We don't know, it doesn't make sense, but it's happening. There is also a whirlpool in the Pacific Ocean that is starting to be problematic," continued Batman, "and a storm is brewing on the Eastern coast as well. Looks to be the making of a hurricane, maybe even a tornado. It's picking up great speed."  
"Emmet and I will take care of the storm, I think we're best suited for that," said Superman.  
"I appreciate the element of choice here. I would love to help, anyway," said Emmet.  
"Alright, Aquaman-"  
"I'll take the whirlpool, we may have some devices in Atlantis that can help with that," said Aquaman.  
"Wonder Woman, Flash. Take care of the earthquake. GL and Shazam will be in charge of evacuation and back up if necessary. Cyborg and I have other pressing matters," continued Batman.  
"What's up?" asked Shazam, always eager to know, never being tactful.  
"I will explain later," said Batman, "now go."  
No more was said, they all left for their places, the fliers flying and the others teleporting.


	5. Chapter 5: Whirlpool

Chapter Five: Whirlpool

Aquaman was teleported to Atlantis. His nation. His kingdom. He never forgot it, but in a way, being with the League, surrounded by the people there, he felt almost normal. He knew that Superman was as strong as him, he would never admit that Superman was stronger. He knew Diana was at the same level as well, so he felt physically amongst heroes. And the intellectual capacities of Batman and at times the Flash were also able to make him feel equal. It was always half a shock, after being amongst people who wouldn't call him anything but Arthur or Aquaman, to be addressed the way he is in Atlantis.  
"My King," said a soldier next to him. He was in a small chamber that led to his throne room. The chamber was possibly one of the few rooms which had no windows to the outside. It was a small study that Arthur liked to frequent when he needed to be alone. There were books on shelves that made the chamber resemble a miniature library. A desk was placed there as well, a photograph of his father and him near the light tower was sitting there beside the lamp he'd brought from home. The guard was there in the middle of his room. He wore the blue uniform of metallic alloys that could withstand the pressure of the underwater kingdom. The breadth of his domain sometimes scared him: it was so vast, how could he possibly be able to control it?  
"What news?" asked Arthur, he was not Aquaman amongst these people. The guard was standing at attention: arms to the side, body erect. He was willing to die for Arthur, his King. But Arthur didn't even know his name. With the League it made sense: they were all friends, here Arthur was not so lucky, he couldn't afford friends so easily.  
"Sire, a great whirlpool has been spotted in the Pacific Ocean. We have sent units there to try and contain it, but it is only picking up speed. We were using the anti-rotation technique."  
That was similar to what Superman does, it should also be able to work under water: negate the flow of water by spinning against its rotation. They walked together out of the room and into the main hall. It was a large hall with the throne at one end, their end. The throne was made from the gold of many lost sea voyages and was shaped big enough for Arthur to sit on comfortably, with some extra space as well. The back was shaped in a manner of a trident. It was quite beautiful, yet it was rejected by a part of Aquaman's inner being: so much extravagance for a job that was meant to help others. It felt like he was robbing his people. Though a part of him also enjoyed the beauty and the riches. He had never been rich until now, it was a nice change. The hall was decked with marble and was wide enough for sixty people to stand shoulder to shoulder, at least. The high ceiling was made of glass and showed the rich and beautiful life that was happening around the castle, so that all could see the King and the King could see all from his throne.  
"Is the device ready to be deployed?" asked Arthur as they descended from the dais onto the hall's main level.  
"Yes, my Lord. We were waiting for you to come and give the order."  
"It is given. I shall go there myself as well, to make sure that I can see what the device can do."  
"Sire, shall I assemble the Royal Guard?"  
"No need, I'll be accompanying him," said Mera, as she entered from the great doors into the hall. She was clad in her green uniform and the small crown she was given many years ago. Her red hair glistened and flowed. Of all the people here, Arthur respected her most. She was cruelly honest, and a great fighter.  
"Sire?"  
"You heard the lady, I will not be needing the Royal Guard," said Aquaman and took his trident out of its sheath. The sheath was a small groove in his armour that would then smooth itself when it was no longer in use. He always enjoyed holding the trident, it made him feel stronger. More regal.  
The soldier bowed and ran off to follow the orders.  
"The device? Are you sure?" asked Mera as they walked over to a small room that allowed them access to a tunnel. The room was a secret one, opened by pressure on a specific spot in the wall of the hall. The tunnel would allow them to enter the waters and from there they could swim out into the sea.  
"It's time to try it out," said Arthur.  
"Perhaps, but is there anything else that's the matter? You are obviously concerned about it if you are going there personally. A whirlpool forming in the ocean is nothing truly new."  
"I'm afraid that it might be a part of something greater, something more sinister."  
"Something to do with the invasion of the surface world?"  
"Yes."  
"And why is it our concern?"  
"Firstly, the whirlpool is a sign that it does concern us. If it is them then they have acted in hostility to my waters. Secondly, what happens to the surface world also matters to us. And to me. Doing the right thing is more important than simple prejudice and inaction due to such things."  
"Spoken like a true moralist. But not necessarily like a monarch."  
Cruelly honest, as always, thought Arthur, as they entered water and started to swim towards the Pacific.  
It never took long, no matter the distance. He might not always be as fast as some of the others, but down here he was truly King. Sometimes he wished to know how it felt to fly, but he doubted anything could be as good as feeling the waters around you, feeling the consciousness of all the teeming aquatic life around him. He felt so comfortable, so at home.  
He was nearing the site, he could feel the energy of the whirlpool sucking him further and further in. He stopped at the spot where his soldiers were, some were still trying to control it by swimming fast enough around it. It didn't seem to be working, even Arthur could feel the tug of the whirlpool increase in strength.  
"Stop your movement, clear the space!" called Arthur, hoping to see the whirlpool for what it was in full.  
It was a tornado under the sea. The waters were spinning round and round, starting from a point far below and only increasing in magnitude and circumference, never abating. It was a sight to behold: beautiful in its deadlines.  
"Has anyone gone down to try and find the source of the whirlpool?" asked Arthur.  
"Yes, my King, we couldn't find the source. It was hidden between rocks, we would have to get through them and the whirlpool to reach the source."  
"My lord," came the call from behind, it was the soldiers bringing the device, "shall we deploy the device?"  
"Yes, immediately." answered Arthur.  
"Yes, sire. Move it!"  
The device was a large rectangular box, its job was to project Mera's powers to places she couldn't access. It did more than that at times: it could freeze water, robbing it of most of its kinetic energy and thus forming it into ice. There were controls where they stood in order to stop it in time, otherwise a very large chunk of an ocean would be frozen. How large? The estimates weren't conclusive. The device had mainly been built in order to help with the problems of the glaciers, to try and equalise the climate change's effects. It could work here, thought Arthur.  
The great box was tossed into the whirlpool. Very soon the box was not in sight. The people around Arthur looked on, as Mera tried remotely to halt the movement of the water. She wasn't succeeding very well.  
"The device is reaching optimal positioning," said the soldier with the controls. The controls were a small piece of computer on the man's wrist.  
"Detonate!" called Arthur. The man acquiesced.  
Nothing happened.  
They all peered harder.  
Still nothing.  
"Is anything wrong?" asked Arthur, fighting hard to keep worry out of his voice.  
"It has detonated sir, but the whirlpool is fighting back, it's not freezing, it's not working."  
"Shut it down," said Arthur.  
"You better not do what I think you are about to do," said Mera.  
"Where would the fun of being King be if I don't do as I please every now and then?" asked Arthur. When he joked, she knew he was worried, maybe even a little scared.  
He plunged into the whirlpool. He was so fast, it was doubtful whether anyone could have stopped him from doing so. They all stood there, spreading out their formation in case he came out from another part of the whirlpool.  
They waited.  
And waited.  
But while they waited Arthur was fighting for his life. The water was moving so fast, he wasn't able to process it into air properly. He could barely breath. His trident was in his hands. He had to try and ride the whirlpool, try and get deeper, deeper into the heart of this monster. He almost felt like one of the poor sailors from Greek mythology, who rode too close to the whirlpool. He was being flung around and tossed and turned, he could no longer tell which side was up and which was down. He got a grip on himself. Concentrated and forced himself to stand upright.  
He spared no thought for anyone. He did not think of his beloved Mera as he dove down. Nor of his father or mother. Of none of his friends. He did not even wonder whether he would make it out alive. Such is the power of true leaders: they plunge headfirst, with no thought for themselves, not allowing themselves to be distracted by any other person. Pure and unrelenting focus upon the task at hand. He dove deeper and deeper into the whirlpool, using all his strength to not be turned upside down. The current was pulling him down, down to where light no longer existed. He could barely feel the consciousness of the beings around him, there were so few left around there. His eyes, always able to see in the ocean darkness, were blind down here. It was as if the whirlpool was sucking out the light itself.  
He pressed his hand onto his belt. On the right side was a hidden switch, the Atlantians were very adept at these hidden gadgets, one of which was a flashlight. From the front of his belt issued a light, it lit most areas very well, but seemed to barely make a difference here.  
Clang!  
Something just hit his armour on the shoulder. It didn't pierce but it was a strong blunt blow. Arthur remembered that the scout had said that there were rocks down here, he must be getting close.  
Clang!  
Another rock hit him from behind, he now barely remembered which way was up again.  
Clang!  
Clang!  
Clang!  
The hits kept coming from all directions. He had no idea where he was going nor where to expect the next hit. He was picking up speed at a much more accelerated rate. He gripped his trident harder, unwilling to let it go. It could very well be that he would need it.  
There! Within the darkness, the belt managed to shine upon the object of his venture. It was a large black box. Upon its top were propellers, bigger than any he had seen. Their design was unique, he had never even seen descriptions of such a thing, the curves seemed to be perfect, the lengths as well. The entire apparatus was alien. Foreign. It shouldn't be here, thought Arthur. He was coming towards it quickly. Luckily, the centre of the propellers was easily discerned even in this darkness.  
Steady, thought Arthur, cooling his mind and focusing his thoughts. He was probably the best marksman in Atlantis, but that was because he managed to be calm, to be focused.  
Steady.  
Steady.  
Now!  
And with the thought came action. He thrust at the centre with all his might, burrowing deep into the machine. The propellers stopped moving, they were jammed for the moment, and Arthur didn't hesitate. He grabbed the propellor nearest to him with his great and mighty hands and tore it off, quickly doing the same to the others. It didn't take more than five seconds. He was the master of the sea, and he was the one who would always protect it. But he needed to know better what he was dealing with.  
The whirlpool around him slowed down. He didn't move, he just stared at the great black box. Such a thing must weigh a lot, it wouldn't have been easy for anyone to bring it there, especially between so many rocks. He looked up and saw that he was at the bottom of a jagged cavern, one which seemed almost impossible to find without looking for it. This was not a feat done by an Atlantian. Nor by any human. This was too clinical, the machine too advanced for Earth's technology.  
The whirlpool finally died down and it was gone. The soldiers, who waited at the edge of the whirlpool swam down towards him. But none as quickly as Mera. His loved one. A part of him felt guilty that he didn't think of her when events put him in the face of death, but he knew that should he truly feel on the verge of death, he'd think of her. She was his only one.  
"I see you managed," said Mera. He could tell she was worried, and that she was relieved. But she also knew how to not show it, not to anyone.  
"I'm fine. Though this machine needs to be removed and examined," replied Arthur. They'd have time to speak and hold each other later, now he still needed to be the King.  
"Have this device brought to Atlantis immediately," ordered Arthur.  
"Yes, my lord," said a soldier and they started making a perimeter and calling in the carrying ships to bring this beast of a machine out of its hidden cavern. The great ships were slow, but effective. He swam back to Atlantis with Mera at his side. She swam next to him without saying a word, every now and then she'd allow herself to brush upon him, it felt so childish to Arthur, as if he were back in fifth grade trying to show his affection to a girl he liked, without being obvious to others.  
"You are worried," said Mera, she could see it on his face.  
"Who could place that machine there without our knowledge?"  
"I do not know, it looked undisturbed by anyone or anything, which means that either it was protected or it has been recently placed."  
"I have a hunch, but I don't like it."  
"You think the aliens from before placed it here?"  
"They'd have the perfect cover,"  
"Then you should go talk to them about it."  
"Batman has probably already planned the meeting."  
"And once again I am last to know."  
"You're actually the only one who does beside the League."  
"Hmm."  
Arthur grabbed her and pulled her away, there was a reef about two kilometres to their left. Two kilometres is barely a distance for them. The motion was so quick that Mera didn't know what to do. That was very rare. Before she knew it, she was floating in front of Arthur. He stood there: majestic, beautiful, his blond hair was swirling around but it didn't make him seem stupid, it lent him a noble charm. His bulging muscles so close, but not threatening; impressive.  
He looked at her, at her red hair flowing around her head, she looked like a spell. Something that couldn't be yet was. Her green uniform tight around her slim figure. She was beautiful. Mesmerising. He was lost in her.  
He was found in her.  
"You will always be the person I trust most," said Arthur, and she placed her hand upon his chest, the other holding his waist, just as he was pulling her close.  
"I know," said Mera.  
"I love you,"  
"I know that as well."  
He chuckled.  
And they kissed. A moment of bliss within their tumultuous lives. It was all they needed to be ready for the next problem: a moment of bliss.  
They swam back to the citadel. Arthur already going to his private room, he needed to speak to the Justice League, and at once.


	6. Chapter 6: The Tornado

Chapter Six: The Tornado

The supermen made it to the scene. It took barely three seconds for them to get there. Sometimes, within that super speed mentality, everything seemed so peaceful, nothing seemed to move. It was all so still. For a person who could hear almost everything on the planet, those were his true moments of absolute peace. He shared this with no one, but he felt like Barry might know part of the feeling. But none of them would know the beauty of the silence: not having to hear everything and everyone. Then he gets to the place of danger, and snaps back into focus. The moment of reverie is over.  
"Looks like the tornado has been formed," said Superman. They were above it, looking at the swirling winds underneath them. It was beautiful. A circle in the middle of great winds, it almost seemed peaceful. Then a car came flying at them. The tornado flung its treasure at them. Emmet caught it with one hand, as if it were merely a football.  
"It's definitely stronger than anything I've ever seen," said Superman.  
"Agreed. It does not seem like your world has the power to conjure up such beasts."  
"The best way to dissipate it is to negate the winds. I'll go to the bottom and you stay at the top, if we fly fast enough-"  
"The wind caused from our flying will equal that of the tornado. Agreed. Let us go."  
Without further ado they gunned it down to the Earth. On the ground it was all dark, winds were bellowing and forcing everything to uproot.  
"I will run, you go a bit higher than me," said Emmet, and ran. Superman was right behind him, flying around the great circumference of the tornado. The wind was pushing hard against their faces. Superman could only see ahead of himself due to his super vision, otherwise he would have been unable to see anything. If not for his invulnerability, the winds would have forced him to close his eyes. There were some things that humans couldn't do, thought Superman. And again he thought of the perplexing words of his clone, or his original. He might be nothing more than a clone. A copy. Not truly the last son of Krypton. This other person may be his father in a way. But it didn't matter. Emmet may be another Superman, but there is only one Clark Kent. It had already become evident that they disagreed with each other's choices on some level. This person placed himself as a government. This person judged: to judge means to put yourself in a place that a hero shouldn't be. It was not their job to judge, but to stop wrongdoing and help when they can.  
"The winds are not moving further inland!" yelled Superman, as he saw for the who-know-how-many-eth time the same house in the far distance that was slowly being wrenched from its foundations. It was at the same distance still, even though the tornado should have progressed forwards by now. This was all wrong. The winds were staying the same only because they were countering its momentum, but it was meant to stop the tornado completely. Superman turned into the tornado.  
The winds were howling and pulling him in all directions. They were fighting him, trying to force him out of the centre. That's impossible. And yet it was true: there was a system to the winds. They didn't seem to be just arbitrary: they were working together! He was hit by a cross wind that came from dead ahead. A car slammed into him from the right while a wall from the left tried to crush him in the middle. This wasn't possible.  
With a quick surge of strength, he forced his way into the eye of the storm. All was chaos around him, but for a circle that was about fifteen meters in diameter. Inside was a boy. He couldn't have been more than twelve. His arms were raised and from them seemed to issue wind, his back was to Superman. He was wearing a torn shirt and pants that were brown. The pants were in terrible condition.  
"Hey!" yelled Superman, "who are you?"  
The boy didn't answer, maybe he couldn't hear Superman.  
"Stop this now!" yelled Superman, edging towards the child. A scan revealed that the child was human.  
"It's ok! Everything will be alright!" yelled Superman and flew in front of the child. The child was crying. His eyes were swollen from tears and his frame was shaking.  
"Help me!" yelled the boy, he was so young. The boy stretched out his hands towards Superman, wind still coming out of them and joining the rest of the tornado.  
"I will. Just stop this and I can help you."  
"I can't, I don't know how to stop it!" yelled the boy and collapsed onto his knees. The tornado continued to roar around them. In the distance Superman thought he heard some kind of cry.  
"Hey, I'm here for you. It's going to be alright," said Superman. He put his hand on the young boy's shoulder. The boy looked up.  
"The monster made me do it. It said it would kill me. It said that using my powers was the only way to stay alive." mumbled the boy, he was starting shake uncontrollably.  
"I won't let anyone hurt you. What's your name?" Superman was using his gentlest voice but loud enough to be heard.  
"James."  
"Alright. James. I need you to relax. To calm down. It's going to be alright. I need you t-"  
It came so fast, Superman barely saw it. Emmet was there, behind the child. Superman was unaware of that for a moment, and that was all that Emmet needed. Quickly, Emmet hit the kid on the head. And the boy fell unconscious. Not dead.  
"What the hell are you doing?!" screamed Superman. The winds began to dissipate.  
"I was stopping the tornado."  
"You hit a child!"  
"Who was making a tornado we couldn't stop."  
"You hit a child!"  
"It was the safest and quickest way."  
"He was hysterical! He just needed to be soothed! You didn't need to hurt him!"  
"He was dangerous. How many lives could have been lost while you were here chatting?"  
"There isn't a living being in this tornado. The evacuation worked! You didn't have to hit him!"  
"You are mistaken: I took the necessary steps to ensure everyone's safety. And there is a living being. Just well masked."  
The winds have died down and then Superman heard it. A pulse. Coming from above and falling fast. This wasn't over between them. But it would have to wait.  
Superman flew over to the being. It was a large minotaur-looking creature. Its skin was hairless though. It had blue skin that looked like leather. Its horns were black and large, though not very long. It was over nine feet tall, and was very muscular. Its eyes were yellow and terrible. It looked like something out of a fable. It was lying on the ground, and a quick look revealed that it had broken its legs, probably from the fall. It was trying to get up. Superman grabbed it by the neck and lifted it towards his face. Staring at it right in the eyes.  
"Who sent you? Why are you here?"  
"I work for my lord, and he wishes to find the right people."  
"Who are you working for!" shouted Superman, and allowed his eyes to start burning red.  
"I don't fear you, Kryptonian. My lord is truly to be revered, and feared. You are nothing compared to him."  
"You don't fear me? That's brave, considering I didn't just break my legs," said Superman pushing him down into the ground, "who is your Lord? Who sent you?"  
"Helspont. I was sent by Helspont. That information you may receive for free. It is of no consequence."  
"Why did you scare the boy?" asked Superman, allowing his rage to fill him, but not so that he lost control. That's the difference between him and them: he doesn't lose control.  
"That is not your concern, Kryptonian." And with that he pushed his upper body off the ground and swung at Superman, missed and fell to the ground.  
He knew he'd miss, he wants to fight, thought Superman, or maybe just to die. Either way, thought Superman, I think he's afraid.  
Emmet came towards Superman. "He won't tell you any more," said Emmet.  
"Let's bring him to the lock up. There are more than enough prisons that can hold him."  
"Not yet, I meant that he will not tell specifically you anymore. My turn." He walked over towards the monster, his whole body glowing red.  
"You!" called the monster, and crawled away. But slowly, and definitely not fast nor far enough.  
"Why did you scare the boy?" asked Emmet, calmly. And that was more menacing than most yells.  
"I was ordered to. We all were!"  
"You were ordered to scare a child?"  
"We were ordered to find humans with power. People that mutated."  
'Why?"  
"I don't know!"  
"Answer me!" And with that he ripped an arm off. Completely tore it away.  
"No!" yelled Superman, and rushed to Emmet and flung him aside, "that's not how we do things!"  
"It has to be sometimes. He was lying before, I wanted to make sure. You can lock him up if you wish now, I shall cauterise the wound. I do my best not to kill, but monsters are an exception."  
"To some, we are the monsters," said Superman, as he cauterised the wound, he didn't trust Emmet to do it.  
"To the blind, yes. I do not scare little boys, do you?"  
"Shazam, I need some help here. I need you to take care of a kid. Take him to the Watchtower for me."  
"No problem Supes, tornado clear?" asked Shazam, and before Superman could reply, he was standing there in front of him.  
"Yeah. You're coming with me," said Superman to Emmet. They went to the nearest super human detention facility that ARGUS had around, it was at the heart of an Island in the middle of the Pacific. Not a bad place for a prison for people who had great powers.  
"Why save him?" asked Emmet, "he is a monster, a criminal. Who knows how much damage he could do?"  
"It is not our place to judge such things. It is not our place to take a life."  
"Is it not? Then who's place is it?"  
"No one has that authority."  
"And when the ships were destroyed and Daemonites were incinerated, that was alright?"  
"War is war. Our priority is the innocent. There's not always a way to save everyone. But when there is, then we must do it. However difficult."  
"You could just target their weapons capabilities or not kill their soldiers."  
"We don't know how to do that."  
"I see."  
"See what?"  
"That your intentions are quite noble, if a bit wrong."  
"Wrong?"  
"Yes. Wrong. You put yourself above the law, and because of your immense power no one has done anything to you. You judge yourself to be above everyone else. If anyone else went about other people's business like you did, they would get arrested. You are not arrested. You judge them and yourself, but you are not willing to dirty your hands to make this world better."  
"So you would kill?"  
"Only the unworthy. Him I would kill for his crimes, and because he has no place on my planet."  
They reached the island and already a team with a cell were ready to receive the monster. He was locked up and then brought underground. It took only a minute and it was all done in silence. A few people glanced at Emmet as he floated in the distance. All nervous, secretly hoping Superman would save them. And they knew he would. Though they didn't like that thought too much. They were there to prove humans could match these people, it was a cruel slap in the face when they were proven wrong.  
"Let's get back to the Watchtower," said Superman.  
"Agreed."  
"Why did you end up turning to politics and not just helping people?" asked Superman as they flew towards the watchtower.  
"My world was like yours: divisions of all kinds. My example wasn't doing enough. By forcing them to be united as a planet, I was able to make true change."  
"Sounds like you took their choices from them."  
"True. But we must all make sacrifices for democracy and safety."  
"Your planet doesn't sound democratic."  
"It is not anymore. But I tried to make it so. I turned it into something better: a world where everyone knows his place."  
"And you at the top?"  
"Alongside others. We formed the committee."  
"I don't agree with your methods-"  
"You do not have to. Our planets are different with different issues. We each adapted according to our surroundings."  
I am the only Clark Kent, thought Clark as they entered the Watchtower.


	7. Chapter 7: Earthquake

Chapter Seven: Earthquake

Wonder Woman arrived on the scene alongside Flash and Cyborg. Cyborg quickly teleported back to the Watchtower to team up with Batman. The whole city was shaking. This was not normal, she hadn't felt rage this strong since she fought gods. Pompeii was the only earthquake similar to this. Denmark is being devastated, she thought. The houses were crumbling around them, it seemed too strong for any nation. But since when do earthquakes happen here?  
The team went to their targets: the civilians. No word was exchanged, they all knew what to do. It was simple, yet frightening. Wonder Woman always felt this to be the most frightening of ordeals. There is no enemy, no mystery, just civilians dying. A long time ago she'd found it fascinating how fragile human life was, how swift. It made it precious. Important. She flew to a nearby house, there were people there huddled under a table. Above them the ceiling looked like it was about to fall, and so it did. But not before she got there. She grabbed the great mass of stones and flung it aside. Then removed the table and saw the family of two patents and two children, they looked up at her in wonder, in awe. There she was: the American hero that they never saw apart from on television. She stretched out her hand: "alt er godt, jeg er her til at hjælpe," said Wonder Woman, there was hardly a language she didn't know.  
She pulled them out of the house and placed them in a safe place: there was a park in the middle of the city, it was removed from all of the buildings, it would be a perfect place to put them. She took them all, not leaving one person behind. The Flash had already cleared a few blocks. She sometimes forgot how quick he was, how quickly he took care of the civilians.  
"There are too many, the evacuation alarms didn't go off in time," said Wonder Woman.  
"Hal," said Flash, "we could use some help."  
"Coming now," and in the space of thirty seconds he was there, already supporting a building so that the people could leave.  
The Flash was starting on another neighbourhood. But the task was beginning to overpower these heroes.  
"Two parks are already full of civilians, there are simply too many people. We need back up, now," said Wonder Woman. She refused to have the ego of men; when help was needed, it was needed. There was no shame in that.  
"Help," said an unfamiliar voice on the comms, "is here."  
And onto the scene came the young ones.  
Superboy. Red Robin. Wonder girl. Beast Boy. Raven. Kid Flash. The young ones. In a way they were a security net: should the League fail they would step into their shoes. The only way out of the League was probably death. But for Wonder Woman this was not an outlook of a temperament of defeatism, but a challenge to defy it every time. A warrior knows that she may die, but she does not have to make it a certainty. That's why a warrior trains. In a way, she didn't want them around, it could be dangerous, but at the same time she needed their help, and they could use the experience.  
Red Robin coordinated the searches and rescues, as well as the parks, he had Superboy tear a few buildings down. It was amazing how much like Clark he was, and how different at the same time. They both had that bravado and strength. As Superman, Superboy would do fine. But truly, there was no one else quite like Clark.  
The citizens were evacuated after an hour. Red Robin was truly Bruce's equal in mind. Bruce knew very well how to pick them.  
The team worked efficiently and quickly. Wonder Woman couldn't help but admire their capabilities. The earthquake raged on and on, and it started to pick up strength and magnitude.  
"What's going on here? This is beyond anything I've ever heard of!" Called GL, he wasn't panicking, but he was bewildered. They all were. Slowly cracks started to form in the pavement. Buildings came crashing down all around them. They were safe, but not for long.  
Superboy flew out onto the pavement in the heart of all the destruction.  
"What are you doing, kid?" yelled Green Lantern. GL wasn't too familiar with the Teen Titans, but he ought to have been.  
"I think he's going to try and control the tectonic plates underneath us," said Red Robin.  
"He can do that?" asked Wonder Girl.  
"He never tried before," was Robin's reply.  
"Lantern, Beast Boy, Raven, we need to keep Superboy safe. He's going to need all the help we can give him, let's move!" cried Wonder Woman and they all charged to where Superboy was crouched, hands to the ground, red energy surrounding him and flowing into the ground. His limit until now had been the amount of will he had, but that had never been challenged as it was challenged now. This was beyond anything anyone had ever tried, so far as they knew.  
"I can feel the plates!" called Superboy, "they're struggling against me, this isn't right! It's like they have a will of their own, something is moving them!"  
Or someone, thought Wonder Woman. She knew of gods that could do this, but none would have any interest in doing so.  
The science didn't add up, this shouldn't be happening, thought Flash. He sped with Kid Flash to make sure that the citizens were where they should be and also to make sure that they didn't miss anyone. Kid Flash was from the distant future, and though he denied it, the Flash kept thinking they were somehow related. While Flash had the desire to train him, none of these youngsters were sidekicks. Only Red Robin was trained by Batman and worked with him. The rest came of their own volition. Part of Barry's instinct was that they were too young to do this, it was reckless and dangerous. But what put him above them? If he had received his powers when they had, he would have done the same as they did. They had to fight their own battles, he just hoped that the Justice League would be able to help when necessary. That also made him wonder about the middle group of heroes, those that in age could be League members, some of whom had been Titans at some stage, but did their own thing. There were so many heroes now, so many good people, fighting so many more bad people.  
"I found the source!" came Superboy's voice over the communications.  
"Great! What is it?" asked the Flash, he was almost itching to go find something to do.  
"I'm not sure if it's a strange device or a person, but he's somewhere past the island, I think he's in the waters between here and the next island!"  
"You sure?" asked Red Robin, always looking for concrete facts.  
"I can't find a specific point, there may be multiple ones. RRRAAGHHHH!"  
"What happened?" asked Wonder Girl, flying down to be beside Superboy. He was seeping red energy and he looked almost crazy with his eyes flaming into light red and pushing down on the ground.  
"I found them! Where's Raven? She can see where they are exactly."  
"I hate when I have to delve into your mind, Connor, it is always turbulent," said Raven, her voice was like honeyed steel. Chilling to the core. It is probably safe to say that while every one of the Teen Titans trusted her, they never quite got used to that voice.  
"I have the locations," and she flew away, the others quickly followed.  
"The earthquake is decreasing in magnit-" started Red Robin, only to be cut off by the cry of pain and anger of Superboy. It is probable that the entire city heard the young hero's cry as he managed to take control of the great tectonic plates. He slowly eased them to where they should be, trying to be as gentle as he could. A mis-step, and an earthquake would be just the beginning.  
Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Raven, Beast Boy, and Flash alongside Kid Flash went to the locations that Raven shared with them telepathically. Wonder Woman and Raven found one location. Beast Boy and Wonder Girl another and the Flashes found the last.  
"Too slow old man, couldn't even beat me!" called Kid Flash, as they reached the site.  
"Last time we ran like this, you ended up nearly floating out to orbit," replied the Flash.  
"Whatever, old man."  
"What is this thing?" asked Beast Boy.  
"It's a very advanced machine," was Wonder Girl's reply.  
"Flash, take your machine to the Watchtower, the rest of you: destroy these things and let's get back to helping these civilians," commanded Wonder Woman. Whenever she talks, she's always was so confident, so sure of herself, thought Wonder Girl, I hope someday I will be able to fill those shoes.  
The machine looked like a large black box that was on an island, the island was barely large enough for a person to stand on, and was not there according to the maps. The machine, Flash theorised, was placed at the bottom of the sea and it sucked up land and thus made space for plates to break and then, when the machine sent its tremors, created an earthquake. Once the machines had been destroyed, the earth was sucked down, luckily not so fast that the Flashes couldn't start running in order not to fall into water. Superboy sucked back the land mass into place and sealed it. Just like it was, he thought, and fainted. This was the greatest feat he has ever attempted. Red Robin was there to make sure he was alright; he's alive, just exhausted.  
"Pick up on the way!" called Beast Boy as Raven used her telekinesis and grabbed both Superboy and Red Robin. The Titans left for their own headquarters, while Wonder Woman and Green Lantern tended to the city, helping anyone they could. The Danish army was now able to start establishing first aid tents and it seemed like everything was going to be handled by these authorities.  
"This was planned," said Wonder Woman, "this was an actual strike against a nation."  
"Who would do this though? And who could build such technology?" asked Green Lantern. And then got the answer. He halted mid-flight, a scowl written across his face. He knew who it was, it was as they'd suspected: it was not over.  
"Scan the device when we get to the Watchtower," said Wonder Woman, "Barry is there waiting for us. Make sure it is truly them."  
"Didn't think of doing anything else," said Green Lantern and sped past her.  
Men, thought Diana, they are so quick to anger sometimes, especially when there is a fight about to commence. If they were able to be more patient, they would be better in the fight.  
She flew behind Green Lantern to the Watchtower.


	8. Chapter 8: Ivy

Chapter Eight: Ivy

Cyborg boomtubed himself and Batman onto the Earth. To the site of the volcano. A part of Batman was angry, angry that he wasn't there to be a part of this. In a way, though, how much could he truly have done? There was no enemy, no one to outsmart. Just a volcano. A tsunami. No villain.  
Yet.  
"This is where we were," said Cyborg. They were standing near the constructed wall. Around them ran a few trails of lava, and ash was still falling lightly from the sky. An eruption can take a long time. The people haven't returned to their homes yet, I guess they were fearful of the eruption that was still taking place thought Cyborg. Both Batman and Cyborg could explain to them how they'd be alright, but would they even understand?  
"So this is where you found the herbs?" asked Batman.  
"Yeah, this rose is one of the few left after the devastation."  
"Take us to the fields, I need some more samples," said Batman as he crouched down, picking the rose up with a metal utensil and placing it within a small metal box. He knew exactly who he was tracking, but the detective within him knew better than to simply go on the first obvious hunch. There could be something else. Something new.  
They were boomtubed to the fields. The fields were not as of yet destroyed by the lava, which meant that Batman was able to use the area properly for data and evidence. The land was very versatile in its ability to sustain plant life, if one was to believe their eyes. But they knew better, the only thing that could grow in these fields was rice and maybe a few other things, not lilies and roses and definitely not corn.  
"Is that chickpea?" asked Cyborg, already knowing the answer as his computer part has already analysed it and concluded that it was.  
"These plants cannot be here. The soil cannot sustain such a diverse wildlife, they would have outcompeted one another at some stage. Something, or someone, is maintaining them."  
"What do we do from here?"  
"Scan the fields surrounding us, look for fields and other highly vegetated areas that exhibit randomly versatile plants."  
"You do know we are on a land known for its plant life, right?"  
"That's why I don't have anyone with me but you. You're able to scan and log all that data and then make up an accurate conclusion quickly. I trust you."  
Those were words that rarely escaped this man's mouth.  
"What will you do?" asked Cyborg as he started to take off.  
"I'll stay here, see if I can find any more clues."  
With that Cyborg left and flew into the sky. He was a small, minuscule dot. And then he vanished. Batman allowed himself a second to see him off before he went back to his work.  
He crouched on the ground, and picked up a leaf. The leaf belonged to a tree not too far away, it must have been blown over here. There were quite a few leaves around. Leaves meant that wind was something regular here, he couldn't know the extent for sure due to the eruption that was happening, but he knew enough to know that all these different plants could not have arrived as seeds blown on the wind. There was no evidence that the wind was strong enough for that. That would suggest that someone brought these over from another place. Either as seeds or as full plants. But to have a plant cover such a large distance would not be easy.  
"Penny-one," said Batman into his ear piece. Penny-one, Alfred: His servant, his friend, his medic, his assistant. Alfred was all that, and so much more.  
"Yes, sir? Are you not on assignment with the Justice League?" asked Alfred, his British accent so smooth and mannered. Almost not betraying a single emotion; though Batman knew well enough that this was Alfred being surprised.  
"I am. I need you to run a search. I need to know if any strong winds have been blowing towards this part of the world, though I highly doubt that would yield any results."  
"Any particular reason? It could help yield better results."  
"I need to know if seeds could have gotten here in the past five years from seemingly all corners of the Earth."  
"Just a moment, sir."  
It was only a few moments before the answer came, Alfred has become indispensable to Batman, not just to Bruce Wayne.  
"That's a no, sir. No winds that could possibly do that."  
"I thought so. I need you to see if anyone came to this area with seeds of plants from different countries. Is there a scientific experiment being run here?"  
"That search will take time, I'll send you the results when I have them."  
"Thank you Penny-one. Have you had any luck on that other search I asked you for?"  
"Not yet, sir. It would seem that the target has left the city, though where to I cannot be certain. In any case she is no longer in Gotham according to these findings."  
"Thank you, update me when you have any progress."  
"Will do, sir. Best of luck."  
Batman looked down at the flowers in front of him. They were roses. He scooped a small amount of earth using a spatula he had. It was a small one, barely large enough to hold a spoon-full, but enough for what he needed. He inserted the sample of earth into a little box that would be able to scan it to give an estimation of the soil content. it'd first been developed for ecologists by Wayne Enterprise, but he had other uses for it as well. It could sometimes help him know what explosives had been used to create a bomb or some other device. Or when something was not from Earth.  
The soil scanner beeped in his hand as it ran a few tests. It vibrated and then it stopped. On a screen built into the device were written the results. There was every compound that was necessary and at about the right concentrations for plant life. There was a high level of nitrate and magnesium as well as large proportions of water. The soil was damp.  
With a low growl he moved to the rice area of the field. He went through the same motions as before, scooping some dirt and placing it into the scanner. The scanner brought the same results to him. Good concentration of nitrate and magnesium, not overly salty and damp soil. He did so next to a few more species of plants. All the results were the same.  
He then looked at the sky. The field was open, nothing obscuring the sun was present.  
Batman's scowl deepened. This is ecologically impossible. The soil is the same for all plants, the conditions are perfect for some of these plants, but not others. The damp soil and normal levels of salt will allow rice to grow, it may also explain why there could be hibiscus flowers here. But plants like the Nassella tenuissima would not be able to survive this amount of water. They would die. Then there was the issue of the sun. There was light enough to support a plant such as rosemary, but there was simply too much of it to support the fuchsia flowers that were grown around here as well. Not to mention that some of these plants were tropical and others found most commonly in the Middle East. Someone not only brought them here, but also found a way to alter their DNA in order to adapt them.  
Unless it's her, then she'd be able to simply give them a power source, but this is beyond anything recorded. It's a full ecosystem without any logic, thought Batman, and his scowl, if it was even possible, deepened.  
A beeping told Batman that Alfred was back.  
"Penny-one," said Batman.  
"Sir, I have completed the search. There is no reason why these plants are there. No person or expedition has come to that part to migrate any species, sir. And judging by the data your sample device has collected the plants should not be able to co-exist."  
"Thank you, Penny-one."  
"Batman," said Cyborg on the communication, "I have completed my scan and I'm heading back to you."  
Batman looked up to see Cyborg approaching fast. He landed a few feet away from Batman. His great metallic body clicking and whirring as it readjusted itself, folding his wings away and forming hands as well.  
"What did you find, Cyborg?"  
"As you suspected, all the fields in a large part of this area have been tampered with. They have been affected much like this one with plant diversity. I received your data from the ground here and can confirm that it is the same with other places as well, this shouldn't be possible."  
"Did you manage to triangulate a location of origin?" asked Batman, though it could almost be heard as a statement, as if he expected no less.  
"I have an area that seems highly likely, it's at about the centre of the changed fields and is the most diverse in the area. It's a small part of a forest, but was turned into a small jungle. I can't get any readings into that place."  
"You won't find any, it'll be too well guarded."  
"How do you know?"  
"Call it a hunch. How far is it?"  
"Not very far, a few klicks down there," said Cyborg pointing northwest.  
"Can you boomtube us there?"  
"I can boom us to the entrance, but not much further than that. I won't know if I'll be dropping us in some swamp."  
"We'll start at the beginning then."  
Cyborg boomtubed them. The experience once again gave Batman a twinge of satisfaction as he thought of Darkseid, the great conqueror and how they were using his technology for their own gains. But Batman knew better than to allow himself any sense of satisfaction from this train of thought.  
In a moment they were at the foot of a great jungle. If Batman didn't know any better, he'd say he was staring at the Amazonian jungle in Brazil. The trees were incredibly tall and the foliage was thick, so thick he couldn't see more than five feet ahead in the clearest areas. Everything stank of danger and mystery.  
Batman started walking into the forest, unsure of what to look for, but confident he would find a clue. He always did.  
"Whoever is doing this, if they originate from here, will leave a trail. Most probably. See if your scans can reveal anything as we walk. Be vigilant: we are definitely not alone here."  
"Copy that, Batman."  
Always the good soldier, always professional. So different from all the different Robins he had had. He had a maturity that they didn't possess, or was it his machine side that was making him so? Was his complacency routed in loyalty, respect, or calculations?  
They walked further into the jungle, and very soon they didn't know which was the way back. The great green jungle was beautiful beyond belief. The green was greener, the red was redder than any flower had shown before. The colours seemed to be alive. There was some sunlight that managed to pierce the veil of the trees, casting a light twilight on the scene. It was magnificent, truly a heavenly place. But then Batman heard it: movement. A slinking noise from behind him. This jungle was more than alive; it was almost conscious. The trees seemed to rustle all of a sudden.  
"Batman, I'm getting movement from all around us, it's something big."  
Whip! A vine the thickness of a small tire flew at them. Batman managed to dodge at the last second, flipping over it with an elegant somersault. But Cyborg got hit. He was flung into a tree with the vine still encasing him from around. It was slowly crushing him. Batman threw a small bomb at the vine. Cyborg used the energy of the bomb to break free and aimed at Batman and fired. Except it wasn't at Batman, but a vine that was flying at him. His sonic cannon destroyed the vine completely, and the jungle seemed to yell in pain as the trees huddled for a second.  
A hissing. Batman fell to the ground, dodging the sharp leaves that were thrown at him.  
"We're getting close," said Batman, and continued to walk in the direction they were walking before.  
"How do you know?"  
"We wouldn't be attacked otherwise."  
"I've never seen anything like this," said Cyborg, a hint of awe mixed with fright in his voice.  
"I have. It's nothing new, just on a bigger scale."  
"So I assume you know who this is?"  
"It's a safe bet, but a bet is not a sure thing."  
He walked along a winding path. Nothing would have said that it was a path but Batman knew better. The leaves around this area had been moved more than a few times. And here most prominently. Also, the vegetation on the ground here grew shorter than in some other places. Someone had been treading here constantly. No foot prints were visible which meant that the tread was light. Batman moved a great leaf of a tree which obscured the way, and dodged to the side.  
A huge plant was there, it was a bug-eating plant the size of a man. Upon second inspection, he saw that the leaf was connected not to the tree, as the illusion would have it, but to the plant itself. The plant lunged for Batman again. This was not possible. It wasn't. A vine behind it was pushing the plant towards Batman.  
Whirrr!  
Cyborg's sonic-cannon burst through and destroyed the plant, turning it into a heap of goo. The vine came at Cyborg, but hit his armour with a small thud and fell. Batman cut it with a batarang.  
"You ok?" asked Cyborg.  
"I had it under control."  
"You can say thank you, even if you had it under control."  
Cyborg deserves respect, thought Batman. He earned it. But Cyborg also craved equality amongst his friends. He earned that too. He got it. But Batman doesn't thank for what he could have done himself. The question then was, was Batman lying to himself?  
They moved along and finally came to their target. Batman knew it by the look of the place. It was a small clearing at the centre of which was a tree. It was thick, its circumference was vast. It was impossible for the land to sustain it. The tree was a dark green, mixed with brown. It looked like it was almost pulsating. The heart of the forest.  
"Come on out, Ivy," said Batman. He heard Cyborg's little exhale of breath, he found it funny that Batman knew who it was. He always knew the answer.  
The bark of the tree moved, shifted within its folds, and out came Poison Ivy. In all her grandeur. She never was quite at home with humans, but this was a bit extreme. She was standing there, in a slight pose, leaning on one leg a little more than the other, which allowed her to look quite exquisite. Her green skin was slightly greener, and her red lips redder. She was wearing a skin tight layer of leaves and vines. In a way it flattered her, but only Cyborg took note of that little bit. Her red hair was flowing and she was looking sexual and aggressive.  
"Are all your enemies like this?" asked Cyborg.  
"No, darling, no one is as amazing as me," said Poison Ivy, her very voice was intoxicating, "what are you doing with tin-man? Bringing man's filthy machines into my home. Isn't it enough that you've disrupted my time here?"  
"What are you doing here, Ivy?" asked Batman, unfazed, not caring. Always taking note, constantly calculating.  
"Why should I tell you?" asked Ivy.  
"Because otherwise me and this tin-man burn down the whole place."  
"You won't. I won't let you!"  
Predictable. A vine from behind. Cyborg managed to grab it with his hand and then destroy it while Batman back flipped over the one coming at him from behind and threw three batarangs. They exploded and destroyed the vine.  
"Enough!" yelled Batman.  
Ivy was poised, prepared for another onslaught, but the vines withdrew, if only a little.  
"Why are you here?" asked Batman.  
"Because I left Gotham. What's it to you?"  
"Why did you leave Gotham. What happened?"  
"I was driven out, by a monster."  
"What happened?"  
"Penguin said there's someone looking for me. Someone who wanted to make me more powerful. He gave me a potion to take. My tests revealed that it will make me stronger. I took it and got stronger. More powerful. I was going to take you on when the daemon came back. He tried to take me."  
"You beat him?"  
"No. I ran. He was powerful, Batman. Too powerful."  
"Why did he want you?"  
"I knew he had a plan, he said it involved your death, which was good for me."  
"And?"  
He said it without even being fazed, thought Cyborg.  
"He did, but he wanted to dissect me."  
"Why run here?"  
"I thought he wouldn't be able to find me here."  
"He was the one that made the volcano erupt. To lure you out." That was completely inconclusive, but she didn't know that.  
"I had to sit and watch as my plants died," she sobbed, it was hard for Batman to believe that she could feel emotions, but sometimes she did. And it was always a strange feeling. To him, this was as close to a plant weeping as was possible. Miraculous and unbelievable.  
"Was he working alone?"  
"No, He wanted me for his master."  
"Do you have his name?"  
"Yes. Helspont."  
Both Batman and Cyborg went cold.


	9. Chapter 9: Helspont Revealed

Chapter Nine: Helspont Revealed

The Watchtower. Usually it was only the Justice League that occupied this great satellite. It almost felt like overkill to have such a large craft, but people didn't always realise that large parts of it were actually built to sustain the satellite and crew on it. But this time, they had three guests. The young boy was with Shazam, who was trying to help him recover a little. The good thing about Shazam was that he knew how to act with kids. After all, he is one. Poison Ivy was in the cells, undergoing scans that Cyborg was running. Emmet was amongst the heroes, but all knew what he had done. What he was capable of doing.  
"He has more control over his powers than you do," said Batman to Superman. They were in a ship inside the ship's bay under closed doors and locked comms. This was as private as they could make it. It would do, Batman was certain of it. All of it was lined with lead and the vibrations wouldn't be able to transfer so far. This will do.  
"I figured that one out when I saw what he can do. But is he such a risk?"  
"Absolutely," said Batman, his voice unwavering. He didn't even pause for thought.  
"So what do we do?"  
"I'm not sure. For the moment, we have a common enemy."  
"I don't think he's a bad guy, just a little undisciplined. Much like we were at first."  
"We weren't that violent."  
"You are, just not with that amount of power."  
Batman grunted. It wasn't true. But it was also true. How do you reply to that?  
"I may have to do some unpleasant things to extract information, but I don't maim someone like that," Batman's turned his head slightly to the side, almost imperceptibly. Almost.  
"Yes you do. He tore an arm off and you break arms to the point they may never heal," said Superman, his voice was accusatory and harsh. Checking himself quickly, at a speed that Batman was not aware of the process, though he noted the change, Superman continued, "putting that aside for the moment, what do we do with him?"  
"We use him to help us beat Helspont. Then we'll see what we do next."  
Superman nodded and they left the ship. In front of them was Emmet.  
"You really should've left the hanger if you didn't want me to find you. The rest have assembled."  
Batman scowled, his small white eyes were staring at the man in front of him. Angry. This was a test, a desire to show strength and ability. He was trying to lure Batman out. Why? Batman walked off towards the bridge, closing the hanger door behind him.  
"What the hell is the matter with you?" asked Superman.  
"I enjoy our little talks, Superman, but I cannot understand your anger."  
"You were trying to make Batman hit you. Why?"  
"I was not doing any such thing, though I can understand the alluring prospect of getting under his skin. He will lose, he is doomed to do so."  
"What?"  
"Have you not figured it out yet? His mission is doomed to fail, whether he dies or not."  
"What makes you say that?"  
"His tactic is based on two things: being smarter and therefore more tactful than his opponent, and instilling fear within his opponents. The first has already proven to not always be the case, like with the Riddler and the Joker. Even Hush outsmarted him once or twice. The second part, people know he will not kill, and that he is only human. You cannot be afraid forever. Eventually the criminals become enlightened and are no longer scared. For example Penguin and Two-Face."  
"That just means he has to deal with the toughest people there are. I don't see how his mission fails because of that."  
"It fails, Superman, because he has not got what you have got: hope. He does not inspire hope, he inspires fear. Criminals hate you, but the civilians see you as a beacon of light. A hope. You are a reward: do well and you will be able to be as great as Superman. Batman is not that. He inspires fear in both criminals and civilians. All are afraid of him, even if they trust him not to hurt innocents. He is a man of punishment and revenge: do badly and he will come. The good do not receive anything. It is not a better place he inspires, but a fearful people. He will become a tyrant. Or die."  
"He has to fight the darkest fights against the darkest people. That means that sometimes he has to become darkness, but he's a man. He deals with it as a man. That inspires hope. Hope that each man can embrace the darkness inside him and vent it for good."  
"You are naive. That does not happen, only in stories. Not in reality. He is only waiting for vengeance. He will never be satisfied. He wants people to fear him and respect him, the way he was not respected and feared on that fateful night."  
"How do you know about that?!" Superman was alert, angry and wary. How could he know all of that?  
"I did my research. I think we had better get going. They are starting the meeting now."  
They both flew at super speed.  
Superman was stumped. Even Darkseid, with all his powers and agents, didn't figure out who Batman was.  
Or did he just never try?  
They got to the Watchtower's main meeting room. All the members were sitting there, all but Superman and Shazam.  
"Where's Shazam?" asked Flash, looking at everyone for an answer. Not because he was anxious, but because he was just so restless.  
"Here," said Shazam, rushing through the doors from the kitchen, "just made sure James had something nice to eat."  
"Thank you, Shazam," said Wonder Woman. She had been with James as well for quite a bit. She loved children, their innocence was a great source of motivation for her when she fought. They were to be protected. And James was just a young child whose innocence had been ripped out. And she knew where that could lead. There was only a need for one Batman in this world.  
"Alright, what's he doing here?" asked Green Lantern, pointing at Emmet.  
"You need me," was his reply. His arms were folded and he stood between the exit door and the table. Superman was by now seated in his chair.  
"I disagree," said Green Lantern, and his suit pulsated with a bit more energy.  
"I hate to say it, but Emmet has important information for us. He could be useful," said Batman, but his scowl was a lot deeper and his tone more menacing than before.  
"So what happened? We were all attacked by machines?" asked Aquaman, he was very eager to learn who could invade his domain so easily. His kingdom was attacked, of that he had no illusions.  
"Yes, both Wonder Woman's team and you were hit by machines. James was scared by a monster that worked for Helspont, so was Poison Ivy."  
On the table was a holographic projection of a globe. It pointed out where the attacks were, with a small picture of the cause, as well as a projection of a profile about each person they encountered. Batman came prepared, thought Wonder Woman, as he always does.  
"It's confirmed that the machines are of Daemonite origin," said Green Lantern, "the craftsmanship is definitely theirs, but advanced. It was actually catalogued by the Guardians only a little while ago."  
"The fact that they sent all of this after we already fought them means that this isn't over. My guess is that the invasion was a diversion for these attacks. But why?" asked Batman, looking at the people around him, "here is what we know: They have new technology, and that's on top of their other powers. Last time they were here a few Daemonite soldiers took out Carter Hall and Starfire as well as J'onn J'onzz. Not to mention that Helspont himself was able to take out Superman," said Batman, and they all avoided looking at Superman. He was slightly shaking, whether in fear or anger, only Batman could guess correctly.  
"I have defeated him before. It is not easy, but it can be done," said Emmet.  
That didn't help.  
"How?" asked Batman, a slight tone of disbelief in his voice.  
"At a great cost. But Superman and I can defeat him. I just needed some extra help to finish this monster."  
"The key to defeating an enemy is knowing what he wants, and taking it away," said Wonder Woman, "so what does Helspont want?"  
"He already has control of the Daemonites, so it can't be that," said Green Lantern.  
"Last time he came here, Helspont wanted control of the Daemonite empire, but he also wanted to protect it from genetic degeneration. That's why he wanted Earth: to protect it and use the people here as a cure for their genetic degeneration," said Superman.  
"Then why didn't he take Earth last time?" asked Flash.  
"He wasn't ready, nor was Earth. He said he's trying to guide human mutation in order to make it right for his species," said Superman, "so what changed?"  
"Technology," said Batman. "Poison Ivy said that the soldier that made her stronger also wanted to take her for, as she recalls, harvesting."  
"What do you think that means?" said Flash, starting to vibrate a little more noticeably.  
"I'm not sure. But the fact that these machines and the monsters showed up means they're looking for someone, maybe?" asked Aquaman.  
"It's possible. But who, and why?" asked Batman, and his scowl deepened. He hated not knowing, and they had so little data right now.  
"What if we try talking to Helspont? He surely didn't give up the fight quite yet," said Green Lantern, "I can go aboard his ship as the emissary of the Green Lanterns, and Superman can come with me as a dignitary of this world."  
"That, GL, isn't a bad idea. Do you have the authority?" asked Batman, he didn't think of it, but hid that from his voice.  
"Yeah, bats, I do. Part of being a space cowboy."  
"Alright, get going. Superman, you're going with him. And Shazam as well, I don't want you without a good amount of back up. I suggest we talk to the UN immediately. Wonder Woman, that should be you."  
"Agreed. I'll notify Steve Trevor immediately."  
"Flash, you go with her. I don't want her going there on her own, even if Trevor is with her. Cyborg and I will man the Watchtower. Aquaman, I think it'll be wise for you to get to Atlantis and prepare your warriors, we may need them."  
"I'll go see what I can do," said Aquaman.  
"I shall go with Superman," said Emmet.  
"You're staying here." There was malice in Batman's voice. He was not a forgiving person. Not one bit.  
"Fine. I shall stay here as you request."  
"Move out people, GL's team, wait until Wonder Woman has finished her assignment. We don't want to risk the world going against us while you're away."  
They all left for different places. Superman and Wonder Woman left together to the teleportation device, Flash had already raced off to notify Steve Trevor from the Communication Room.  
"I don't like this intruder," said Wonder Woman.  
"Neither do I," said Superman.  
"Have you learnt anything from him of his origin?"  
"Not really, but I doubt that I will until this Helspont thing unfolds. One thing is certain: he hates Helspont. And no one leaves their world for no reason, and I doubt he was that curious about me."  
"Just be careful there, Helspont will probably try and set a trap for you,"  
"I will. I'll see you when it's all over."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the United Nations" said Wonder Woman, "I come before you both as a citizen of this world and as a member of the Justice League. There have been several disturbances that have raged from the Pacific to Denmark, incidents that are not unlinked. The Justice League has investigated and found that all these disturbances were nothing less than an attack, an attack made by a powerful alien race. The same race that attacked the United States a few days ago."  
A large amount of murmuring rose to this around Wonder Woman, flanked by Steve Trevor and the Flash. The one a human spokesman for the League, the other probably the most human, probably the best face for the League, if he was to show his face.  
"Please, settle down," continued Wonder Woman, "at this time we are unsure of the plans this being, Helspont, has in place. A team of the League will travel to the alien to try and understand exactly that: his plans and demands."  
"Who are you to negotiate with the alien? You do not represent us!" yelled the dignitary of England. From that rose a great amount of bustle and shouting. This is going as expected, thought Steve Trevor.  
"We are not taking your places," called Wonder Woman, raising her hands for silence. Though her demeanour was calm, her eyes sparkled with the warrior within, the dignitaries quickly remembered who she was. They settled down once again.  
"We are not going to negotiate. No one is, we are going solely to understand our opponent. This world will not be subjected to any vice nor subjugated by any conqueror. That is what the Justice League is doing, has done for several years now. We are not here to steal your place, we are here to protect this world from threats greater than any of us."  
The room was silent.  
"Steve Trevor will stay here and make sure that you have all the information as soon as it is gathered."  
"Should we not vote on the team that should go?" called the dignitary of France.  
"We demand that a member of the Justice League United shall go with this team of yours!" called another.  
"This isn't up for negotiation," said Wonder Woman, "this call was a courtesy to you, we do what we need to do in order to save this planet, and we do so in the light of day: no secrets, no hidden agendas. We are here to help. Let us do our job so that you all may be able to sleep peacefully at night. You know who we are, you know our parameters. Please trust us, the way you've trusted us this long, to continue to do our job. Steve Trevor will update you with anything new that we receive."  
Then the Flash and Wonder Woman teleported away, leaving Steve Trevor there alone with all of the dignitaries of the United Nations on their feet, calling to him and asking questions he could not answer. He left for his little office in the building of the United Nations. He hated it when they just disappeared. As if they were gods: decreeing their will and decision, then leaving the people to find out what their place is anew.

"That could've gone better," said Green Lantern, "then again, it could've gone a lot worse."  
"Come on, we're up," said Shazam, somehow he was always eager to go on his missions, is it because he's eager for the thrill, like Dick, or eager for the fight like Jason?, thought Batman, or maybe it's to mask his true feelings.  
"Alright GL, let's go," said Superman. They left the watch room on the bridge and went towards the nearest airlock.  
"It's best if you let me do all the talking," said GL, "it's mainly me that has the jurisdiction in this thing."  
They reached the airlock and exited.  
"In order to make this look more official, we should go surrounded by my Green Lantern light," said GL.  
"Don't push it," said Superman, "besides, we don't know where they are."  
"Correction, you don't know where they are. I do."  
"After you, then."  
"So what else is new?"  
Hal could never be the one to have the second to last word, always had something to say, though a lot less now than a few years ago. He'd matured, or suffered a lot. Superman hoped it was the first. But they were heroes, they all suffer, or have suffered, at some stage.  
"You OK, Billy?" asked Superman. Shazam was slightly shivering, he was worried, maybe even scared. This Isn't an invading army. These aren't thugs. This is a diplomatic mission, a mission into the heart of a ship of a person that knocked Superman into the moon. Somehow, Shazam always felt like a sidekick to Superman, but he knew he was just as powerful as him. But that means that he would also be beaten by this guy. That sucks.  
They flew towards Saturn, the trip took only a few minutes. There was the great ship, one could almost mistake it for a large comet. It was so large, so powerful. What power could they wield that could destroy that? My fists! Shazam answered in his head, and with that came his resolve and courage once more. He may be mortal, but he's the mightiest mortal.  
They flew over to the ship, correcting their stance so that they were in line with it.  
"This is Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern corps. Lower your shields and allow us access to your ship. These here are the representatives of Earth. You will allow us all safe passage. Now, open an airlock," demanded Hal Jordan, he knew it was transmitted to the bridge, they saw it. They had to obey his demand if they wanted to keep the Lanterns away.  
"Incoming communication," said Hal Jordan's ring.  
"Hal Jordan, your request is accepted. You and the emissaries will be granted safe entrance and exit, as long as you do not disobey the protocols for such meetings," came a voice, and a face was speaking it which was formed into a hologram by GL's ring. It was a face of fire, with the bottom half of a meteoric metal. The fire flickered, danced around the eyes, the eyes of a daemon. Superman's blood ran cold. He remembered all too well that face, those features. Anger welled up in his veins and flowed through him. It took him a moment to regain control.  
An airlock on the right side of the ship was opened, and the three flew towards it and entered. Inside were robots holding open the door, while along the corridor stood the same kind of robots in a salute. It felt very much staged, and though the robots were not really a threat, they were an ominous presence. They were led by a minotaur-esque monster through winding corridors. Using his heightened senses, Superman realised that they were being taken deep into the ship. It'll make it very difficult to leave, though Helspont should know that all three of them have the capacity to break through the ship. He remembered the last time he was on this type of vessel. Helspont had surprised him by being the power source of the ship. He'd even mentioned his father, his people. It was not a pleasant thought to think about being defeated by him. Being humiliated.  
They reached a large set of doors at the end of the journey. The minotaur opened the doors and stood to the side, allowing them to enter. The room had a tall ceiling and was quite wide. The room was a silver colour and reeked of metal, and the room seemed to seep emotions out, leaving the room hollow and menacing at the same time. It was plain and yet glorious. It made the inhabitant even grander. He was sitting there on a throne, a tall throne that seemed to be a part of the ship. As if it were excavated from the ship itself. And there he sat, gold and black metallic armour. Face of flame flickering in the small basin-like part that was the lower part of his face.  
"So, Lantern, what business do you have here? You cannot interfere in every matter."  
"The entire universe is my sector, Daemonite. I can intervene in whatever matter I deem worthy of intervening in. And you have invaded a planet, I hold you accountable to that."  
"Guilty as I may be, I do have my reasons."  
"And what are those?"  
"I seek a few people to take."  
"You said last time that Earth wasn't ready for that," said Superman, "what changed?"  
"Technology. Genetical splicing and restoration, to be exact. I have found a way to make it possible for us to repair our genome, even enhance it. I just need a few samples of your people."  
"What do you mean by samples?" asked Shazam, fearing that the answer was all too obvious.  
"I will take a few of your people for harvesting."  
"You're talking about us giving up our own people!" said Shazam, lightning coming to his eyes. If there's one thing Shazam hates, it was a bully. Bullies always take whatever they want.  
"A child, a criminal, a hero and a young hero. Hardly that many," replied Helspont. He was sitting on his throne, leaning back with a hand clenched into a fist and enveloped by the other hand. He looked in control. He probably felt in control. But something wasn't adding up.  
"Why invade us?" asked Superman.  
"To plant my devices. I have come to understand that you will not give me this planet willingly, yet my plan is not for its destruction. I want it to prosper, for mutation to prosper. When the time is ripe once more I will come to collect what I need."  
"And what do you need?"  
"People. I need people to help my people. You will be coupled with us, used by us to help save our species. I told you this before."  
"Then why not conquer Earth now?"  
"I could, but it'll be unnecessary. Your general population is not ready… yet. But I needed to speed up my timetable and new technology has allowed me to do just that."  
"You aren't getting anyone," said Green Lantern, "Helspont, you have broken the intergalactic and universal laws as decreed by the Guardians since the dawn of time. You have one chance, now, to retreat and leave this planet alone. Refuse, and you will be held accountable and punishable to the full extent of said law. You have twelve hours to decide."  
It was strange to hear such authority, or language, coming from Green Lantern. It's inspiring, thought Superman.  
The three turned to leave the ship and found, to their surprise, that they were unopposed. Helspont knew better than to violate an agreement, definitely now. But then again, why? He could try and kill them here and now.  
He doesn't want us dead, he wants us to work for him, thought Superman. He didn't know that Batman knew it as well. He was listening to it all.  
They left the ship through the airlock they'd entered from and flew back to the watch tower. The flight was a silent one. They all knew that Helspont would not listen. They all knew that war was about to commence.  
They reached the vicinity of the Watchtower after a few minutes, Superman had to hold his speed back a little in order to stay in stride with the other two members. Superman looked to the left; there was the source of all his power: the sun. The heat of the great fireball caressed his cheeks, warming him up and soothing him. He felt relaxed, rejuvenated. Then he saw a shadow. It was small, he almost missed it. It was the figure of a man. Telescopic vision revealed the shadow: Emmet. He was standing there, or rather hovering, arms spread out and head tilted slightly back.  
"Batman, how long has Emmet been outside of the Watchtower?" asked Superman.  
"About an hour," was Batman's reply.  
"Why did you let him go?" asked Green Lantern.  
"Should we bring him in?" asked Shazam, lightning once more bouncing off of him.  
"I let him out because I wanted to see what he'd do. Superman, bring him in," said Batman.  
Superman flew over to him.  
"Ah, Kal-El," said Emmet, "was the peace negotiation profitable?"  
"What're you doing here?" asked Superman, Emmet was in the same position, while Superman hovered with his arms folded, he did not like this. Why would Emmet come here?  
"What do you think I am doing? I am charging, allowing myself to have more energy. Our cells are probably the best batteries in the universe. They can store a huge amount of energy. That also allows you to use more power from them."  
"So you're just trying to get stronger?"  
"Yes. The more often I do it, the better my cells are at storing and using the energy. A habit you should start practicing. It may prove to be of service." Emmet's skin was gleaming, his slightly tanned skin making the whole appearance of his ritual look majestic.  
"I don't think that being power hungry is a good habit."  
"Naive and pathetic. You do not understand, do you? You are the most powerful being on the planet, and yet you have enemies that can defeat you. You do not train, you do not investigate your powers and their limits. This is both disrespectful to your powers and endangering to those around you. Wonder Woman is very powerful, yet she trains every day to make sure she is always at her best. The Flash and Green Lantern both train and test the limits of their power as well as investigate how to make themselves better. You, brother, just assume nothing can hurt you."  
"I don't look for power. You want to be have enough power to subjugate others, to never be defeated. Your arrogance makes you think you're infallible. It needs to be possible for us to be stopped, otherwise if we lose control we are a liability to the safety of the planet."  
"You always are a liability. It is best to know your limits, and how to move past them."  
"I don't go looking for power, it's not something I desire."  
"You are too scared. You are scared of your power, of losing control and becoming a force for evil. You are afraid."  
"Maybe, but it's better than acting the way you are. Being a dictator and craving power."  
"Hah. If that is how you see things, then so be it."  
He finally moved. He lowered his hands and head, and with his arms to the side he looked at Superman. A look passed, a look saying that they both understood one another, Superman knew then, no matter how similar their genes, he knew that they were nothing alike. And Emmet would be a very possible enemy in the future.  
Why is he here?  
"Shall we?" asked Emmet, and flew off to the Watchtower. Superman flew right by him, the trip lasted less than a second, but Superman knew that he was outgunned here, Emmet knew more about their powers and the source of these powers than Superman. Emmet was the one that was better prepared.  
They entered through an airlock and moved into the Watchtower's communications room. It was a room with many screens and dashboards. Batman and Cyborg were the main ones to use it, they used it for surveillance as well as for transmitting information to different places. In the middle was a holographic projector inside a circular table that was hollow: it was a thin piece of metal that served everyone as a desk, it went around in a loop, creating a space inside the circumference. Chairs were set there as well; there wasn't a chair for Emmet.  
Everyone but Emmet sat down at the table, he was out of view so that no camera was facing him. On the desks were small cameras that were aimed at the face of the person sitting opposite them, the cameras had a sensor so they could adjust themselves automatically to different people's height and movements. In the centre was a holographic projection of Steve Trevor's face. He looked tired and annoyed. Probably because he knew that he was not going to like what he was about to hear from these heroes.  
"Any news?" asked Trevor.  
"How's the United Nations taken this bulletin?" asked Batman, always thinking of himself as top priority. If asked, he'd probably be able to justify that.  
"They're angry. Angry at you guys for declaring this journey of yours to the alien ship. Why do that?"  
"Because we needed to make sure they are in the fold, so that they will be ready when we tell them that a fight is inevitable."  
"Is it?"  
"Yes, it is."  
"What were his demands?"  
"He wanted us to surrender people to him for harvesting. He will use their genome to repair his people's."  
"Who?" asked Steve Trevor, a slight quiver in his voice.  
"I can venture an accurate guess, but he didn't give us the actual names," said Batman, interlocking his fingers and, resting his elbows on the desk, put his hands near his mouth.  
"Alright, so what do we tell the United Nations?"  
"Exactly that: he wants us to give him people from this planet, and he will come to collect us all at a later time if we don't stop him. Those are the facts."  
"I'll go tell that to the assembly right now."  
"Good."  
Steve Trevor took his leave, and the holographic projection shut down.  
"How do we fight him, Emmet?" asked Batman, his eyes small slits of white from his mask. He wasn't even looking at Emmet, who was standing at the far side of the room.  
"With a lot of force. Me and Superman can defeat him."  
"Why not fight him using the entire League?" asked the Flash.  
"Too many people works to his advantage. His telekinetic powers will allow him to control many things, such as Green Lantern's energy constructs and could possibly even slow the Flash down. Besides, if I know his tactics, and I believe I do, he will launch a full scale attack on this planet."  
"Is that what he did to your planet?" asked the Flash, almost sympathising with Emmet. Almost.  
"Yes." It was a croaking, half whisper of an answer. For the first time Emmet showed emotion: sadness. The entire room felt a pang in their hearts. All but one: Batman. He didn't fall for such tricks, even if they weren't tricks.  
"You said you beat him alone. How?" asked Batman.  
"At the cost of many lives. It was not a true victory, I guess."  
"Why is he still alive? You clearly have no problem with killing."  
"I am not a murderer. I do not solve my problems with murder, I protect my people. Just like you do. In any case, he left. He ran away. I did not see the need to pursue him and kill him. Would you?"  
Silence. They all knew he was right. But they all knew he was lying. Something had happened. Something more.  
"Batman," said Cyborg, he was concerned, "it's Helspont. He's sending a message to the UN."  
"Get it on the projector," replied Batman, his voice unchanged, his composure completely intact.  
The projector flicked on and there was Steve Trevor, facing the assembly of the United Nations. They were all staring at a figure in the middle. He was standing in front of Steve Trevor. The figure was not Helapont, it was one of his minion. Another minotaur-esque monster. This one had red skin and its horns were like those of a ram, but black as night. Its eyes seemed to glow as if a fire was behind them. He was huge. He towered above everyone there. How could he have gotten there so quickly? Teleportation?  
"People of this planet," said the monster, "I am Rabarik. I have been sent here by my master, the great Lord of the Daemonites, Helspont. It is he who has brought these destructive forces of nature upon your planet. It was his great power that made these things happen. But he is not a mad Titan. Not a dictator. Barely a conqueror. This planet has something that he needs. He needs this planet for its ability to evolve, to mutate. He wants only to save his people. He does not desire to conquer this planet. He does not desire your death. He merely desires to do something very noble: save his people.  
"For that he needs your help. He needs a select group of individuals to help him in doing so. Not many. Surrender them, and Helspont will be forever your friend."  
"And should we refuse?" asked a delegate.  
"Then Helspont will have no choice but to conquer this world and take them himself."  
"What guarantee do we have that Helspont will not return later? Or that he won't invade us no matter what we do?" asked the delegate of the United States.  
"Let me make this clearer: this is not a negotiation. You are asking for assurances from a god! Helspont can do as he pleases, and not even your beloved Justice League can stop him. If he says that he will not invade you, then he will not do so. If he changes his mind then it is of little consequence to you. You have no say in the matter. You can either hope that he will honour his word for a long time and surrender those he desires, or not and make the invasion an inevitable near future scenario. It is your choice."  
"Who would you have us surrender?" asked the Australian delegate.  
"Aquaman, Poison Ivy, Superboy and James Martin. No one else."  
"Who is James Martin?" asked the English delegate.  
"He is a boy that the Justice League have in their watchtower, a boy that was responsible for the latest hurricane. You need only surrender these people to us. Allow us to take them. We will hunt them and take them ourselves. Merely allow us to do so, and you will be spared."  
"I may not speak for the world," came a woman's voice from an unknown location, "but I do believe that we will agree that this is the right answer!"  
A flash of a sword, a clink, and the body of the minotaur fell to the floor of the hall. Decapitated. Blood oozed onto the floor and created a great pool of red. Behind it was the source of the voice: Wonder Woman, a bit of blood smeared on her armour, was standing on top of the corpse; sword in hand she looked from the body of the beast to the body of delegates.  
"We do not surrender our own!" cried Wonder Woman, her voice loud and clear, "we do not intend to give up! This tyrant will return, no matter what we do! We will fight him! We will stop him! All of us, together!"  
The hall was silent. Not quite what she was hoping.  
Wonder Woman teleported there as soon as it'd been broadcasted to the Watchtower. There wasn't a moment of hesitation. She'd waited to hear what the monster had had to say, then she'd acted. Not out of anger alone, but out of necessity. Sometimes killing the messenger meant one less warrior on the battle field.  
It was done. The Justice League had taken matters into their own hands. That was what was necessary, this was war. And they were the only ones capable of stopping this war from being lost.  
"I know I had no right to do what I did in this democratic hall. I know this, the League knows this. But we also know that this is the second time Helspont has arrived on Earth, and this time he means to take people. Even if you allowed these people to be taken, we would not. We are here to protect the world, and everyone on it. And that means everyone. And we will protect them. We would welcome your cooperation."  
She stood in the hall, the body of her defeated enemy at her feet. There was a primal feeling there, harkening to the primal instinct of the humans: respect the strongest. It almost felt like a clan meeting in order to choose the next leader, and Wonder Woman proved to be the most powerful of them all. It didn't feel right to Wonder Woman, but she knew that they all felt the same, only with a small pinch of the heart that says it is right. Despite all of their cultured upbringing, it was still somehow right. Somehow true.  
Wonder Woman knew that no answer was going to come from such a shocked body of people.  
"I will take this as a sign of consent. We will stop the invasion and we will not allow our own populace to be traded. I am sorry for such a display of brutality, but this is war. A war we will win."  
She left the podium, and exited the hall. It stayed silent. As she left the building and flew off towards the Watchtower, the hall was still silent.  
Their fate had been sealed.


	10. Chapter 10: Revelations and Planning

Chapter Ten: Revelations and Planning

On a chair in the centre of a space craft, in the middle of a room lit in gloomy light, clad in gold and black metal armour, sat a tyrant and a humanitarian. Sat Helspont. He was a humanitarian to his people, unwilling to kill them if not necessary. Why would he? He loved his people! Every single subject was important to him. He was aching, physically aching, whenever he thought of the degeneration of the great Daeminite body. He himself had to change out of that noble body in order to survive. But not all can make such a trip. Sometimes, a part of the voyager between bodies is lost on the way. The outcome is terrible. They become monsters, disgusting, revolting acts are committed by such people. It is too risky, and it is not their fault that their bodies are decaying. No, it is that of his mother, the queen of old.  
But he, Helspont, is the ruler now. And he will save them all. All of them will live thanks to him! He just needed a few ingredients. A few bits of technology. His superior mind, great power, mixed with the technology his scientists had been able to create had made his plans even more possible. He knew that Earth was the true goal, always. His brothers could not see it.  
Those fools! If only they could understand what I was doing, what I was thinking! They wanted to conquer worlds, ignoring the problem with their faulty bodies. Such arrogance! They wouldn't believe that they were dying even as they killed world after world. He had to defeat them. So he went off to the planet they were conquering. That's where he met the third Kryptonian. It was odd, at first it'd seemed like Superman, but he was master of that world. And he didn't even know of Superman's existence. For a planet that was destroyed, Krypton sure had quite a few survivors. After Helspont dealt with his brothers, he went to that planet. It was a strange one. Strange in that it was in the right order. There was a hierarchy, people knew their place. Knew their worth. It worked and it was a haven for Helspont. But that Kryptonian, Emmet, was as stubborn as his look-alike. Not that it mattered. He may have been closer to beating Helspont than Superman had been, but Helspont will always stand strong! Helspont always won.  
Always.  
Helspont had defeated Emmet, defeated his planetary defences and made sure to decimate a few large cities, just for good measure. Leaving that planet, with the threat of return, had been pleasing. A few days after that victory Helspont had learnt of the advances in technology. And a plan had started to form. It was interesting how all the ingredients he needed were on that small planet: Earth.  
And then Helspont thought not just to save the people, but make them better! Why not be able to breath underwater? Why not be able to grow plants and control the ecosystem on every level? Why not be able to control the weather? It was all just too tempting. Too ripe. And with Superboy as the donor, the one that could be used to connect all these different samples of DNA, a new breed could be established. One of greatness, one of power! Nothing could stand in the path of the Daemonites, nothing!  
In that room, in the centre of a spacecraft, the fire sitting inside an armour of gold and black smiled. The wide, dark eyes shrank and glittered. The smile was true, it was real, and it was thirsty to be proven correct.  
With a hand he pressed a button, summoning forth a minion, a subject. A person he had trained to make sure that the invasion would proceed as planned. He'd seen one of his bravest soldiers beheaded. That strike was dishonourable, pure opportunism. Helspont was never one to consider honour a factor, but this... This boiled his blood.  
The doors opened and in stepped a man. He had brown shells sticking out of his body. A Daemonite. His body had been less affected by the degenerative genome than others, and his mind was ever keen. Though he had the power to do so, he refused to move bodies. Most warriors preferred the Minotaur bodies, but he wanted to stay true to himself. So did Helspont, but a sacrifice had to be made. It had to be done. But he admired his general for his steadfastness in this decision.  
"What is the status of our incursion fleet?" asked Helspont. Hand wrapping a fist. His great figure in the chair, his dark and menacing aura enveloping the room.  
"Sir, the fleet is ready at your command. What would you want us to do?"  
"Invade them. Hit them hard."  
"Sir, our fleet of both robots and soldiers cannot defeat the Kryptonian. And that is if we assume that the force can take out the rest of the Justice League."  
"I will take care of Superman, he was little threat before, he will prove the same again. As for the rest of their League, they will find it hard to be everywhere at once."  
"My thoughts exactly, sire. I thought it best to start by invading nations far from theirs and force them to spread out."  
"Excellent. Send these forces now, I will go to the Himalayas, where I met Superman for the first time."  
"Yes, my Lord."  
The man went out and the doors closed behind him. Helspont stood up and revelled in his powers. It was time for him to act, and his body was begging for some movement, for some work to be done. It was time that this planet was taken under Daemonite control.  
It was time.

"They'll try and spread us out, make us unfocused. That way they can overwhelm us," said Batman. They were all in the Watchtower's conference room. Above the table was a hologram of the Earth, as well as a hologram of the ships of the Daemonites. Thanks to GL's ring, most, if not all, of the Daemonite fleet had been scanned. They were all sitting around the table. Emmet standing a bit beyond the table. Far enough for him to be excluded from the group, close enough for him to be included in the discussion.  
"So where do you think they'll hit first?" asked Flash, probably eager to go fight them already. Sitting down was not agreeing with him. It never did.  
"I don't know, could be anywhere," said Batman.  
"We could use some more help," said Wonder Woman.  
"Is there anyone in particular we should ask for help?" asked the Flash.  
"I have alerted the Justice League of America as well as the Teen Titans and the unaffiliated: Firestorm, Nightwing, Starfire, etc. They have all been notified and they all agree to help," said Batman.  
"I'll assemble the Amazons if the need arises," said Wonder Woman.  
"And I the Atlantians," said Aquaman.  
"We will set task forces to stop them, but I think that Helspont will come into play as well," said Batman.  
"He will try to draw me out, hoping that I will take the bait and fight him," said Superman.  
"And you will," said Batman, "and Emmet will be with you. Hiding until the opportune moment."  
"Finally! I have waited a long time to fight this monster." Emmet was breathing heavily and his gaze was stern. He was ready and prepared for the upcoming battle. He wanted this. Hungered for it. He won't betray me, thought Superman.  
"Have we got communications with all teams?" asked Wonder Woman.  
"Yes," said Batman.  
A blip came up on the screen. Then another.  
"Are all teams up and running?" asked Batman.  
"The Justice League of America is prepared," said Martian Manhunter.  
"Teen Titans are ready," said Red Robin.  
"Alright, we have two attacks, one is in Hong Kong and the other in Madrid," said Batman.  
"The JLA will take the one in Hong Kong," said Green Arrow.  
"We've got Spain," said Red Robin.  
"I've got another, smaller incursion in the Himalayas," said Batman.  
"That's him," said Superman.  
"Alright, go ahead."  
Superman left the room, Emmet was right behind him. Wonder Woman quickly came over to him as he entered the tube close to the air lock. She put a hand on his shoulder and he turned around. He was angry, aggressive. But his face displayed fear, doubt. That was not usual for the man of steel.  
"Clark, you always hold back. That's why you were beaten. Don't do that this time. He will not die from your strikes. You will know when you're about to give him that final strike. Trust yourself."  
"Thank you, Diana."  
"And remember: we are all here to back you up at a moment's notice."  
"Come, Superman," said Emmet, "it is time for us to depart."  
"Go get him," said Wonder Woman, and she kissed her man. She knew it could be taken as a sign that he would not return. But that was not how they thought: it gave him strength. Courage. It was noticeable. She enjoyed their ability to help one another get stronger.  
Superman looked into her eyes, her kind and tender eyes. She was beautiful. And she was also a fierce warrior. It was time for him to also be that second thing now. No remorse. No holding back.  
He turned and left the room. He didn't say it, neither did she. It wasn't their style, but they both knew it. Knew it deep down.


	11. Chapter 11: Battles Upon Battles

Chapter Eleven: Battles Upon Battles

Hong Kong. A polluted, overcrowded city. In the middle of this great city of metal and black mists was a hoard of aliens. Some looked like people with shells like that of an insect. Others were minotaurs. There were some that looked like great metal men. And there were robots as well. It was a task for the Justice League. But this one, the Justice League of America could do.  
Green arrow. The Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Vibe, Stargirl, Catwoman, Katana, Steve Trevor and even a Green Lantern - Simon Bazz. They were in no way less than equal to the Justice League itself. And they, unlike the other league, were sanctioned by the government of the United States. They were on the ground, just as they saw the alien hordes.  
"This will not be a cakewalk," said Vibe, already feeling for his powers, readying an attack.  
"Batman hypothesised that should Superman beat Helspont, the rest will crumble. We need only stop their advance and save as many of the civilians as we can," said the Martian.  
"Yeah, well, I ain't here for just stopping. No reason not to kick their asses back to the outer space. Let's get some!" And with that hard and gruesome yell, Hawkman flew straight into battle. His great wings, majestic in flight but lethal in combat. His mace raised and a call of war issuing from his mouth. Green Arrow shot one arrow and zip lined right behind his winged comrade. The rest of the team followed suit. In a way, Steve Trevor wanted to be the leader of this outfit, but he knew that that was almost impossible. So many powerful personalities, there could never be one true leader. It all depended on the situation. And he was happy to let this work the way it had so far.  
Stargirl flew right into the thick of it on her cosmic staff, she jumped off, still holding her staff and as she was going down smashed it on the head of an adversary. A robot, whose head emitted sparks and fell at her feet. To her right was Hawkman already working on a second Minotaur, mace hitting face; while the fist of the beast struck Hawkman as well. Green Arrow was somehow fluid in motion. His dodging method seemed to always work in synchronisation with his arrows. He'd jump and then an arrow would find its mark as he avoided getting hit. Vibe was there blasting away, being careful to not bring the whole block down. Each person there was fighting, they all seemed to agree with Hawkman: best way to win is to beat your enemy. Whoever that may be.

"Wonder Woman, take Green Lantern with you and go to Germany, another force has emerged there," said Batman, "Flash, Aquaman, you're needed in Central City."  
They all moved to the teleporters to get to their designated area.  
"There's another attack on Gotham," said Cyborg.  
"This is the Bat-family and Arsenal. Gotham is under our protection," came Nightwing's voice.  
"Can you handle it, Nightwing?" asked Batman, he was concerned though he knew that they would take it as him not trusting them.  
"Yeah, we've got it," said Dick, always cocky, but never afraid to receive help if he needed it.  
"Another attack in Kahndaq," said Cyborg.  
"I've got this one," said Shazam.  
"Firestorm, meet Shazam in Kahndaq."  
"Understood," said Firestorm, and Shazam left to meet his teammate in the nation that spawned his powers.  
There was a little bit of irony in that pairing: a man made up of magic working with two people that literally embodied science. Fighting side by side. It was almost inspirational.  
"Batman, there's another attack on Metropolis. Who shall I send?" asked Cyborg.  
"No one. Boom us there, Cyborg. This one's on us," said Batman.  
A sly smile crawled to Cyborg's lips. He never liked not being in the thick of things when his friends were. Something carried on from football perhaps. Or something that was always a part of him.

Shazam made it to Kahndaq first, and saw what looked like a town's population worth of monsters and robots. They haven't spotted me yet, he thought.  
Boom!  
The missile came from behind him. And it hurt.  
He wasn't actually hurt or injured, but it did help his mental state to turn even more into aggression. Behind him was a robot with a rocket launcher for an arm. Shazam wasted no time, and flew at the robot. The robot was destroyed, parts flew in every direction. He turned around and faced the great amount of monsters there. But this was Kahndaq, this was the origin of magic for him. He could feel his strength rise, his magic magnify.  
"Shazam!"  
A great bolt of lightning struck three different monsters and they fell to the ground. That was easy, he thought.  
"You sure know how to light up a beacon," said a voice from behind.  
Firestorm.  
They stood one beside the other, looked at each other and exchanged a mischievous grin. And then flew right into the thick of their enemies. Firestorm blasted through with his fire, scorching everything within his path. Shazam, on the other hand, took a more direct approach of fist upon face. Lightning sparked off every blow he made, it seemed to bounce out of his own body. It did. Punch after punch sent both monsters and robots flying this way and that. Then the right moment happened for him: he was covered up by enemies, each one trying to get at him that they all were one great pile on top of him.  
"Shazam!" cried Firestorm and rushed over to him.  
"SHAZAM!" came a voice, seemingly from the ground itself. A great blast of lightning came from the sky and exploded on the ground. There were opponents strewn everywhere, all scorched by the great power of the lightning. And in the middle stood a young boy, laughing.  
The boy turned to firestorm, smiled.  
"Shazam!" And with another bolt of lightning Shazam took the place where the boy just stood.  
"Fascinating!" said a voice inside Firestorm's head, "I wish I could learn how to do that!"  
"How about instead you give me a couple of formulas I could use!" said Firestorm as he blasted another enemy with fire.  
"There! Water!" said Rusch in Firestorm's head.  
Even I know that one! thought Firestorm, but he hadn't thought of using it. He turned the foundation of a building to water. The building collapsed and toppled on top of a few opponents.  
"Hey, Firestorm!" shouted Shazam, "turn some of the sand to water!"  
Awesome! Thought Firestorm and proceeded to do just that.  
"SHAZAM!"  
And there went so many others, electrocuted by the lightning and the electricity that went through the water. They proceeded on, fighting any that came their way.

Gotham. The city of shadows. The city of the Bat. Was it such a wonder, then, that the Bat-family all fought so effortlessly together? They all knew each other's moves. Strengths and weaknesses. They all fought the same way. Probably even more in synchrony than the Justice League. I guess that's what happens when everyone was taught by Bruce Wayne. By Batman thought Nightwing. Well, everyone but Arsenal.  
Nightwing never liked wearing a long cape, it made it harder to move around acrobatically, and he was the greatest acrobat, after all. With his escrima sticks he fought toe to toe with a robot, dodge, dodge and there was the opening. He struck his stick at the neck of the robot and a small jolt of electricity brought the robot down.  
"Could you please take any longer taking these things down?" said Arsenal as he leaped over Red Hood and shot an arrow at the back of a monster.  
"You never seem to be around to see me do the good stuff," Red Hood replied.  
"I'm always around, you have yet to impress."  
Bam!  
A shot from Red Hood's gun and the bullet raced through the air, missing Arsenal's cheek by an inch and hitting a tentacled alien in his left eye.  
"'Nough said," said Arsenal.  
"The fate of humanity and you're trying to show each other up?" asked Batgirl, and with a flip and a throw three batarangs found their mark and exploded, taking three enemies out.  
"They're boys, Batgirl. They'll find time for size contests anywhere," said Batwoman, firing her own gun at a great minotaur. He went down and she moved on to the next enemy. She was grabbed from behind in a headlock. It was too strong, too hard. How did this alien get behind her like that?  
Elbow to ribs.  
Slight effect.  
Don't pass out.  
Batarang to ribs.  
Loosened grip.  
Turn and uppercut.  
Exploding batarang.  
He's down.  
Nightwing, hitting yet another robot with an electric charge. Surveyed the area. "I can't see an effective way to thin the herd, guys."  
"Well, that just makes things simpler," said Robin as he decapitated a robot and moved on to an alien with swords for hands.  
A smile came up on his face. Damian Wayne, he always did like a challenge.

"You know, I've been to a lot of places. Planets, moons. Asteroids. Outer space. But I don't think I've ever gone to Germany. Funny, right?" asked Green Lantern.  
"Not quite the time for that," was Wonder Woman's reply. She had been to Germany. She'd been to Berlin before. Those were not fond memories.  
"Want a strategy, or can we just pummel through?" asked GL.  
"I think that the best strategy is to pummel through close to one another."  
A devilish smile came to Hal Jordan's face.  
"Here comes the choo-choo train!" called GL, and a train materialised, driving with tremendous force into the ranks of the enemy.  
Wonder Woman had her shield and sword out. The lasso would not be needed as much for this battle. She charged at the first enemy she saw and with a graceful movement, she cut off his head.  
Green Lantern then formed a gigantic suit of green energy armour and shot missiles from it. The suit towered over the area, almost three storeys high. He moved like a colossus, with slow and steady steps, causing havoc in his wake. A building may have also fallen during that time.  
Gunshots were heard.  
"Lantern, is that the German army?" asked Wonder Woman.  
"Police by the looks of it," said Green Lantern, and tried to veer away from them, he didn't want to hit them by mistake.  
"We've got fliers!" called Wonder Woman, as she blocked a club with her shield and cut the wielding arm off with a single stroke.  
"I've got 'em!" and with that the suit vanished and Green Lantern flew toward the flying monsters. Except for their lack of armour, they looked awfully similar to paradeamons. He started shooting blasts of green energy at them, he hit a few of them. He tried not to stay in the same place for too long. He was a fighter pilot, he knew what he had to do. Keep flying, keep moving.  
"You almost look like butterflies," said GL, and a large net formed and he caught a large group of the fliers and flung them at the ground. Taking out many of the enemies beneath.  
Wonder Woman was doing everything she could. It almost seemed orchestrated.  
Hit with a shield to stun. Stab the one on the right. Turn back to the stunned and take care of him while blocking the one from behind. Deal with him with a kick and use the momentum to stab another one. Dodge that sword. Get on his arm and cut his head off.  
Tentacle coming.  
Dodge below. Cut it off. Fling shield at it. It's stuck there. Run to it and stab. Extract shield with one hand and use the momentum from the pull to knock an enemy away.  
Though it would seem that she was overwhelmed, she wasn't. This was something she was trained to do.

Aquaman never really visited Central City. He had gone there but the Flash and himself, whilst teammates on good terms, were not particularly close. And he had to admit, there was something nice about this city. It was a metropolitan city, but somehow it still maintained its suburban look. The sky scrapers were not overwhelming, but almost welcoming, and the river ran blue and beautiful.  
Of course he focused on none of that at the moment. Right now he was staring at all the robots and a few tentacled monsters gathered here to challenge him. Though they seemed like fish, he could not telepathically communicate with them.  
"They've all gathered in the square. I made sure of that," said the Flash, and he skidded to a halt next to Aquaman.  
"I'll charge in, you take out the ones running away," said Aquaman and removed his trident from its sheath.  
"Call if you need me." And before the words were even fully spoken the Flash was gone. Left to fight the enemy. Aquaman gripped his trident and leaped into the air. With a loud roar he crashed upon his opponents and brought the trident down, taking more than one robot out of commission. He didn't count how many he had destroyed, he was focusing on the next target.  
The Flash ran around the perimeter. He couldn't reach the speeds he needed from a full stop, he needed a bit more of a run up. But once he had it, he went in. Using his ability to vibrate he was able to disconnect most of the robots' circuitry, thus rendering them useless. But the monsters he left for Aquaman, he didn't want to get into a fight with one opponent when he could defeat many more of them a lot faster.  
But sometimes one has no choice.  
In front was a blue octopus, but it wasn't exactly an octopus. It was a man with the face of an octopus and eight tentacles for hands, but its legs were normal. What kind of breeding was this? He wondered if Hal had ever seen anything like it before.  
He kicked ahead with higher speed. He ran at the beast, and it flung two tentacles at him. It was fast, but nowhere near fast enough. It looked like the beast was working in slow motion for effect. The Flash quickly ran up to the monster and punched it right in the head before the tentacles were even close. The beast was out.  
"Flash!" called Aquaman.  
Flash ran around in circles, it was three seconds but that was all he needed. They'd rehearsed this move and Aquaman was ready. Aquaman raised his trident over his head and then the Flash made his move: the Flash threw the electricity that was enveloping him in the form of lightning and aimed it at Aquaman's trident. The trident was able to hold electric charges, and once the trident had been hit by the lightning the Flash sent, Aquaman brought the hilt down on the ground, sending bolts around him. A circle of defeated lay beneath him. The Flash ran to him and skidded to a halt.  
"Ready for round two?" asked the Flash, as they both saw the remainder of the hordes in front of them regroup, readying themselves for the second round.  
Aquaman removed a few beads of sweat from his brow, and ran into the fold once more. The Flash gave a sly smile and followed suit.

Metropolis. Batman always had an eerie feeling when he entered this city without Superman. It felt wrong. Like he was intruding on Clark's house. But he put that to the side, easily done after years of practice. He had a mission, and he was here to make sure it succeeded. There weren't many robots on this mission. He was sure that was to try and challenge Clark should he be around. Robots would be too easy for him.  
Cyborg's arm was cocked and ready to fire. His sonic-cannons, as well as a few more gadgets, were a part of his body. He could turn them into almost anything. Batman looked at the enemy. They saw each other.  
A batarang flew into the monsters, a few clicks on the wrist controls while the batarang exploded in the face of a walking crocodile and a grapple into the air.  
The grapple clicked and Batman zipped up into the Batplane. Here he could do much more damage. He turned off the human safety protocol. No need to hold back with these creatures. He started firing at the centre of the mass with missiles.  
Cyborg was on the ground firing away with his cannon.  
Proximity alert.  
Cyborg dodged a car from behind and fired at the alien that had managed to sneak over there. He swung his fist round and punched another that was coming towards him. Firing the gun again at the many hostiles coming towards him.  
A building crumbled and large pieces of debris were falling. He opened a boomtube underneath the debris, the other end opened up above the hordes of monsters. Crushing them.  
Batman's plane dove again, going for another run at the monsters. Using his guns he blasted at any target he could lock on, and a few he couldn't in order to line them up for Cyborg's cannon.  
The Batplane got hit from above, Batman moved the controls and forced the 'plane to climb up. He saw a giant eagle with hands coming towards him. Evasive manoeuvres were executed but to no avail. The monster got onto the roof. Batman pressed a button and the ship electrocuted its outer shell. The monster fell towards Cyborg. Cyborg used its momentum to throw it at an oncoming hostile using a back flip that was made possible by his jet pack. He looked at the destruction wrought by these invaders. All in all not terrible. But he wanted to finish this quickly.  
Batman was hoping Superman was doing alright.


	12. Chapter 12: Final Encounter

Chapter Twelve: Final Encounter

Superman flew towards the Himalayas. He was feeling confident. Feeling strong. Powerful. He had learnt much since his last encounter with Helspont. Besides, he had Emmet by his side. Emmet had beaten Helspont before. That was his story, anyway. He wasn't sure that he could believe Emmet. But it was a not a concern. Someone with Emmet's powers would be a great asset.  
"I will not join you at first," said Emmet.  
"Why?" asked Superman.  
"Daemonites have the ability to switch bodies when close to death. Helspont's body is not the body of a Daemonite, but of some other species. I will surprise him and lock him inside that body."  
"How will you do that?"  
"A mental block. I need to insert a bit of metal into his body and use my psychic powers to turn it on in his head."  
"You have psychic powers?"  
"We have psychic powers. You just have not leant to use them."  
"How did you learn to use them?"  
"A story for another time, Superman. For now, I shall make myself scarce. When I am ready I will pounce. Try to keep him talking, it should give me the time that I need."  
Superman nodded and their paths separated. The Himalayas were within eyesight in a moment. And there, standing in front of that cave, was Helspont. His armour glistening, shimmering in the snow. His arms folded in front of him and his black cape, so stark against the white backdrop, was gently rippling in the air as he stood there. Superman landed gracefully a few paces away from him. They stared at each other. Superman could hear the world crying in agony as Helspont's minions were tearing it apart. He could hear his friends fighting. He could hear it all. And he saw the man that was responsible for it. The one whose fault it was. Anger welled up inside Superman and his eyes glared red. It seemed like he could barely contain the power and anger inside him.  
"Ready to surrender?" asked Helspont.  
"I was about to ask you the same question," said Superman through gritted teeth. His fists clenched tight and shaking.  
"I beat you once, what makes you think I will not do so again?"  
"I've come prepared."  
"Have you now? Your power levels seem only slightly higher than last we met. Far too little for you to be able to beat me."  
Superman was starting to shake with the desire to punch. To hit. He wanted this piece of trash off his planet, now!  
"You obviously have a desire to fight, Superman. Why do you hesitate? Why wait?"  
"Why so eager to be beaten?"  
"Ha. You are a funny one. Unlike the last one I met."  
"Who is that?"  
"He looked identical to you. Called himself Emmet. His planet was similar to yours. As were his powers. But he, unlike you, was not afraid of them."  
"So you were beaten."  
"No. I was not. Otherwise I probably would not have been standing here."  
"You won't be for much longer."  
"Are you certain?"  
"Very."  
Bam!  
Helspont didn't even see it coming.  
Emmet jumped on Helspont and stabbed a piece of metal into his head. The metal, though visible for only a millisecond, looked silver and alien, it glistened in a way that no metal strange way, Superman had never seen such a compound before.  
Emmet placed his hand where the metal had been inserted and a pulse of electricity ran through his arm into Helspont's head. Then Emmet kicked Helspont towards Superman. Superman didn't miss his chance: he clotheslined Helspont, smashing him into the ground. Superman took a step back and looked at his opponent. His enemy. Emmet landed next to him gracefully.  
"What did you do?" asked Superman.  
"I had to find the exact point to put the metal in. Then fry the part of his brain that allows him to shift bodies. It took all of my psychic energy to not let him leave his body during that time."  
"And the electricity?"  
"It was vibrational electricity. Static electricity at a high level. The suit helps."  
"I see."  
"Do you, Superman?" said Helspont.  
"Helspont. Leave now. That's your last warning," said Superman, fists clenched.  
"Ha! That is all that you can muster?" asked Helspont and from under their feet rushed up boulders which sent them flying into the mountain side.  
"You may have managed to stop me from being able to shift out of my body, but you are gravely mistaken if you think that you can beat me. I have defeated you both already. I will do so again," said Helspont as he was walking towards the two Kryptonians. His flame grew and seemed to darken into a colder blue, but the flame was only warming up.  
Helspont raised his hands, slammed them down, and down came part of the cliff above them. The rocks would hit them, but super speed was their ally. Superman moved out of the way and slammed his fist into Helspont's face. The shock reverberated through the mountain range. Superman landed another. The third punch was caught in Helspont's hand; he tried to punch with the other arm but that was blocked as well.  
Superman fly up, now! said a voice in his head.  
Superman flew up, but Helspont stayed where he was, holding on to Superman's arms. He was also looking at Superman, but he should have been looking at the pile of stones on top of Emmet, who was biding his time. He flew out of the rubble and slammed a fist into Helspont's face, sending him flying through one mountain, only stopping at the second mountain. The boulders that were loosened were moved by Helspont using telekinesis. They hurtled towards the Kryptonians. Emmet used his heat vision to incinerate the boulders while Superman flew up and then dove down hard at Helspont. The tremendous force of his fist decked Helspont to the ground. But Helspont quickly got up and uppercut Superman, sending him flying far away. Emmet unleashed a beam of heat vision at Helspont. Helspont replied to that with his fist in Emmet's face, but Emmet was covered because Superman returned, and punched Helspont where his ribs would be if he actually had ribs. Emmet punched the tangible flame once more, and Superman finished the move by extending his leg and using it as a lever to push Helspont to the ground. Emmet did a flip over Helspont and grabbed Helspont's legs and when he finished, threw Helspont over his head forwards using the speed and force of his momentum to throw Helspont into the mountain and Superman used his heat vision to assist him in impacting the mountain harder.  
"Not bad, Kryptonians. Not bad at all. You both have definitely learnt a few new things since last we met," said Helspont as he moved out of the hole he'd created in the mountain.  
"Leave, Helspont. You can't win this battle," said Superman.  
"You think so?"  
"I know so."  
Helspont stood there, glaring at his two enemies. Wondering if he should try and convince them once more of the futility of their course.  
No, thought Helspont, they have received mercy before, no one slights me twice.  
Helspont moved so fast Superman barely saw him coming. He shoulder-charged Emmet and sent him flying over the mountain-range. Then he turned on Superman with a punch that knocked Superman off his feet. Grabbing Superman's cape, Helspont swung him around and then released him, throwing him into a mountain. Superman barely realised where he was and there was Helspont again, standing over him with his hands over his head. The boulders around Superman were floating above him. Helspont lowered his hands and with them came the boulders crashing into Superman. Superman spun around and around, making himself into a drill and drilled himself into the ground. He then used his X-ray vision to make sure he was underneath Helspont. He rose up and crashed into Helspont, sending rocks cascading on top of him.  
Helspont was a little disoriented and that was enough for Emmet. Emmet was diving from the upper hemisphere and landed an earth-shattering punch on Helspont's face. The punch sent Helspont through the mountain to its roots. That was definitely harder than any punch Superman had encountered.  
"He's not giving up," said Superman.  
"Then it is time for more drastic measures, now that his armour is compromised," said Emmet and they both flew down to see where Helspont was.  
Helspont managed to extract himself from the mountain. The glistening armour was no longer glistening. It was almost dull; the gold scratched and faded. Helspont was not happy. His flame was billowing and his eyes were dark slits.  
"Fools, you think you can defeat me? I can bring my entire armada, my vast army, over here and defeat you," said Helspont.  
"Your so called armada, as well as your pathetic army, are being destroyed by the heroes of this world. There is only you and us. And you know you cannot win," said Emmet, he was creating that red glow around his body, Superman followed suit and let his eyes turn red. It seemed a little small scale and almost comic next to Emmet but the effect wasn't lost. They were ready to fight. Was Helspont?  
Helspont leapt at Superman. Superman dodged the oncoming blow and punched Helspont in the stomach, if it was a stomach. Emmet uppercutted Helspont and sent him into the air. Superman flew up and got to where Helspont was. He lifted both his hands and slammed them down, sending Helspont into the ground far beneath them. Superman flew down and saw that Helspont had already recovered and was punching Emmet furiously.  
Superman tackled Helspont and got on top of him. Then let fly punch after punch at Helspont. Superman held back a little, afraid of losing control in this precarious situation. Kept focus on just how much force he was using. On the fifth punch, Helspont caught the fists in his hands and used telekinesis to throw Superman away. Emmet was upon the rising Helspont in a moment, but it was Helspont who had the blow: he clotheslined Emmet and with a hand on his neck slammed him to the ground. One punch into Emmet's face and then he threw Emmet at Superman. They both slammed into the mountain.  
"You have both abused my good nature," said Helspont, as he stood up and glared at his two Kryptonian foes, "Superman, you decided to try and not force your will on this planet but only save them from the threats they couldn't save themselves from. But you still deem your actions as righteous if they seem to help the enforcement of laws, though should others do them you would consider them immoral. So you are a simple contradiction. Emmet, you wanted to not be a contradiction, not be outside of the law. But by allowing yourself to be lawful without limiting your power, you became part of an oligarchy which would soon turn into a tyranny. You have both gone to extremes. Polar opposites of the same genome. I guess this proves your Earthly question of nature against nurture."  
"What's your point?" asked Superman, as they recovered from the blow and hovered in front of Helspont.  
"How can you hope to defeat me, when you can't even see a way to live which is true and proper?"  
"And your way is the proper way?" asked Emmet.  
"Yes. You need obey me alone. Join me, and I will show you a way that is truly worthy to live."  
Superman looked at Emmet, a telepathic communication passed.  
They both flew and punched Helspont, sending him into a mountain and both started punching him together, unrelenting. Burying him deeper and deeper into the mountain's side. Emmet grabbed Helspont by the collar and flipped him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground. Superman then kicked Helspont. The shock of the hit shook the mountains and sent Helspont thundering through one. They both caught him when he was lying on the ground and pummelled him into the dirt. Then they both flew a few paces away and stood at the ready. He was more than a match for each of them. But together, they were more than he could handle.  
"I want you gone, Helspont. Leave my planet and any other planet," said Superman.  
"And how do you propose to make that happen?" asked Emmet.  
"Green Lantern. Helspont is defeated," said Superman into his communication.  
"Good, we're basically done here on the different fronts. I'll send a squad of Green Lanterns to your location to pick him up," said Hal on the comms.  
"That's your plan?" asked Helspont, "it is a foolish one. Their prison will not be able to hold me for very long. I will escape. And when I do, I will come back here and destroy your planets. I will incinerate them with a single thought."  
"I doubt that," said Superman, "their prisons are quite adept at holding people like you."  
"Doubt all you wish, but it will happen. I will return. And I will defeat you. I will make you watch as I kill each and every citizen of your planet."  
"He is right, sadly" said Emmet, "he will break out of such a prison. And his followers will be waiting."  
"There is a law and he broke it. It's not up to us what happens from now on," said Superman.  
"This is the coward's way."  
Emmet flew over to Helspont and put his hand through the head of tangible flame, grabbed something and yanked it out. It happened so fast and Superman only reached Emmet when his hand was removing the head of Helspont.  
Grey and blue grease oozed out of Helspont's neck, it took a second for Superman to realise that it was Helspont's blood, leaving his body. The head was a small lightbulb-shaped head, without any slits. Emmet held the head in his hand, almost like a despairing Hamlet, and then squished the head, and tossed it aside.  
"What've you done?" yelled Superman, sinking to one knee, staring at Helsont's bleeding corpse.  
"What needed to be done. We could not hold him. Not even in the Phantom-Zone. He killed many, many people. It is time for you to realise that he is a monster… was a monster."  
"And what are we if kill him?"  
"Slayers of monsters."  
"We are no better than him, now."  
"I do not see it that way. I killed him because he killed many others. I killed in retribution and for the security of both our planets, not due to any desire of mine to possess or increase my power. I did it for to keep my people safe."  
"You murdered. That is all that matters. You murdered a foe."  
"And you never did such a thing?"  
"Not when he was already beaten. Not when there was another choice."  
"You think that there is always another choice until it happens by accident or unforeseen complications. You think there is always a choice. I tell you there is never a choice. A criminal is a criminal. He needs to be put down, like the monsters that he is."  
"Everyone deserves to live."  
"Why? Just because two people wanted it? Or because of an accident?"  
"We don't have the right to decide who lives and dies."  
"We decide what is right and act upon it. Do not question my sense of right, as you clearly do not ask it of most people."  
"There was no need for this," said Superman, his anger dissociating itself from him enough to allow for a different emotion: sadness. He never wanted to kill. He didn't see the need for this. It as pointless.  
"Yes there was a point," did he just read my mind? thought Superman as Emmet continued to speak, "as long as he was alive our worlds would be threatened. I made the logical choice. Even if it was a cold one." Emmet flew away, and Superman didn't have the strength to follow. He was too devastated. How could he argue against that? Superman didn't have rules governing him but principles. He allowed the world to dictate the rules and helped when he could. He gave the law a helping hand. Emmet became the law and executed as he saw fit. That was a tyrant's rational. But this tyrant was too great. Maybe even too great for him.  
But we are the same person, thought Superman, there is a way in which he can become good. This isn't an alternate Superman. This is me in full. Maybe I can change his ways… Or if that fails, get him to leave peacefully.  
The Green Lantern Corps came down from the sky, ready to take a prisoner. Instead they found Superman, alone, standing above the beheaded body of Helspont. They all looked at him, knowing he didn't do it, but also knowing that there was nothing for them there anymore.  
They left the scene silently. Not a word was spoken. They just left.  
Superman stayed by the decapitated body a while longer. Then found the strength to move.  
That which separates us from them is that we do not murder, thought Superman, though we may act outside the law, we presume to be only assistants in the areas the law cannot and must not be. We respect our laws. You may have broken many rules and killed many people, Helspont, but we had no right to kill you, we are better than that. Better than you.  
He went to the side of the mountain and took a great boulder from nearby. Then used his heat vision to shape it into a box. Then he cut off a thick layer from the top and hollowed it so that the layer he took off was the lid of the coffin. He placed the lifeless body of Helspont, still dripping blood from its neck, into the coffin. He then placed the severed and crushed head inside as well. A part of him was sickened by the thought of giving this person who would have destroyed his world a burial, but it felt right as well. A sign that this was over. Done.  
He placed the lid on the coffin and using heat vision and freeze breath, he sealed the coffin.  
Carrying it up, he flew it out into the atmosphere. He left the atmosphere a little while afterwards. Giving the coffin a last push. He sent it hurtling towards the sun. He watched as the heat from the sun disintegrated the coffin and the occupant inside it until it was all just atoms flying free. Not too far from him, he noticed a small figure.  
Emmet.  
He flew over to Emmet and stood next to him. He placed his mask on so that he could speak to Emmet.  
"What're you doing?" asked Superman.  
"Recharging. The fight took a lot of energy, it is wise to refill."  
Superman did feel tired but it never occurred to him to just... Charge.  
"Now that Helspont's gone, I suppose you'll be leaving," said Superman, hoping that he sounded authoritative, implying that there was no choice in the matter.  
"No, I think I shall stay. Learn the ways of this planet. Who knows? Maybe there is something great to be learnt here. I never place such possibilities beyond any place or person."  
"You're not staying," said Superman.  
"Yes I am, twin. I am staying. And I suggest that you understand that thoroughly. I wish to study this planet and learn. I will follow your lead, if that is what is required."  
Emmet then left Superman standing there, alone, feeling like he'd been bullied into doing something for another.  
"Batman to the Justice League. Regroup at Watchtower."  
When Batman orders, they all follow. It's never a hoax or something useless. But this time, Superman didn't feel like it. He just wanted to be alone. But he knew that he was needed, and that Diana was always the best company to have, no matter the reason.

A few minutes later, Superman was standing in his Fortress of Solitude. The ice castle that was left him by his parents' designs was a comfort. He was standing in front of the computer, looking at the data the computer had about what Emmet had spoken of. They hadn't had enough time before to fully check his story, but they could do so now. He stared at the map of the planets and stars the computer projected in hologram form around him.  
"His planet exists, though it's quite a distance away. I could fly the trip in two days or so. Maybe slightly less. The computer says that they are a race of humanoids that seem to worship strength and technology, which usually means they like the people with the best weapons. Or so they did. All that Emmet said about their parliamentary structure is also true, and though the computer can't give names, it does say that a there is a high possibility that a Kryptonian is there."  
"So his story checks out on that front. What about the cloning?" asked Batman over the comms.  
"Well, the computer says that the being he describes exists. They're not sentient, according to the prevailing theory the Kryptonian science counsel had, but still somehow living, in a way. Almost like a virus. They have been spotted and their powers have been described as God-like."  
"Does his story check out?"  
"Yes... It does. There was such a cloud on the path my ship took. His story is possible."  
"That means one thing: he is you by genetic standards, nothing more. You aren't him, Clark."  
"Maybe I'm the clone, and he's the original."  
"That doesn't matter at all, Clark, and you know it. Jor-El was your biological father whether you were then cloned or not. And in either case, you had parents here. You are a person in your own right. Never forget that."  
"Thanks, Bruce," said Superman, but it was a little hollow.  
There is a difference between knowing and accepting.


	13. Chapter 13: Exposure

Chapter Thirteen: Exposure

"The Helspont threat has been completely neutralised. There are no traces of his forces anywhere and Superman himself has been a witness to Helspont's death, it is therefore safe to assume that Helspont will not be returning to harm us," said Wonder Woman. She was standing in front of the great Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. This was a press conference, and of course some familiar reporters were present.  
"Yes?" she said to a reporter, Lois Lane. Clark's co-worker and possibly best friend that is not a hero. Though she may have earned that title herself. Clark was standing next to her, in character as a reporter. It was almost amusing, this dynamic. But it was a part of why Clark was so special.  
"What about the other Superman? Satellite pictures have spotted two supermen. Both looking identical," said Lois lane.  
"It is true," said Wonder Woman, "there is a duplicate of some kind of Superman, his outfit is different. He has been instrumental to the defeat of Helspont and his armies. He is not an enemy."  
"Can he be trusted?" asked another reporter, Iris West.  
"We have no reason to believe otherwise. Let me assure the public that should this newcomer pose as a threat, the Justice League will deal with him personally."

"Looks like you've made yourself quite the name," said a man in an armchair. He looked in his fifties. Emmet was standing behind him, both looking at the television. It has been a day since the attack on Earth by Helspont. Emmet went to his contact: a resident of his planet has been in contact with this man. They had mutual desires: to save the Earth. To save humanity. And maybe, some day, to ensure that both planets are under the rule of a single government.  
"Yes, I feel that my entrance may have been a noisy one. Nevertheless, it is a good thing. This way Superman will have to take me under his wing, if he wishes to study me."  
"You want him to do that?"  
"Yes, I have no reason to believe that Superman cannot see the truth, and I would rather not have to fight him, nor the Justice League, if such a thing is not necessary. Bloodshed and battles should always be avoided if possible."  
"So, what now?"  
"Now, my friend, I need clothes that shall help me assimilate. Superman will notice me straight away, but I need to mingle. To study this city as a taste for this planet. Then I can continue my plans."  
Emmet stood by the window and looked out at the city. He was in a small yet elegant apartment in a building that seemed quite right for his plans: central to the city but not so much that he would feel it possible to be compromised. He was in Superman's city. In Superman's home. This would be the best way to learn his weaknesses, to learn how to take him down if necessary, or to convert him to the cause.

"So, father, what do you think?" asked Damian Wayne. Robin. Son of the Batman.  
He was standing in the Bat-Cave beside Alfred, while Batman sat in his chair at the Bat-Computer, looking at the screens. The news broadcast was on one screen, another had Superman's profile open and a third was a profile that was being written about Emmet. Alfred placed a tray of tea down beside Batman. He took a cup and gave it to Damian with the saucer underneath it. Damian took it with a nod to Alfred. Batman barely noticed.  
"I think we can't trust Emmet, and we can't trust Superman to kick him out," said Batman, staring at his screens.  
"We may need to devise a plan to beat him," said Damian.  
"Agreed."  
"Have you considered, sir, talking to Superman about all of this? Maybe keeping him in the loop would be the wisest idea," said Alfred.  
"No, it wouldn't. Superman needs to be focused on the task at hand: handling Emmet. And Emmet would probably be monitoring Superman. Telling Superman could end up exposing our plan, especially if Emmet has the psychic abilities that Superman said he had."  
"If they share the exact same DNA, why doesn't Superman have these powers?" asked Damian.  
"Emmet has been studying himself, pushing his limits without restraint. Trying to find every possible avenue to gain power. That is something Superman is opposed to. Superman fears his power and their increase. He enjoys the power, but he doesn't want to be all powerful. He's afraid of himself. Emmet isn't."  
"So what do we do now?" asked Damian, clenching his fists in the process. He was always eager for a fight.  
"Now, Damian, we plan. And we wait."  
The all stared at the Batman. And he in turn stared at the screens of the Bat-Computer, elbows on the desk, one hand enveloping another, resting his chin upon them. His mask off, but his suit, as almost always, was on.

"So, Clark, what do you think?"  
Clark was sitting in a car. Lois Lane was driving, as was her custom whenever she could. They went to DC together from Metropolis for the news conference. They always worked better together, pushing each other to do better. Lucky that they were also good friends.  
"I'm sorry?" asked Clark, he was not paying attention. It was lucky he wasn't driving them to the airport.  
"Stop wool gathering, Smallville. What do you think about our second Superman story?" asked Lois.  
"I don't know. It's obvious he's powerful."  
"Well done, Clark, master of the obvious."  
"But I don't know if we should be so quick to trust him."  
"No one said we trusted him."  
"I guess."  
"Do you think that he is a good person?"  
"I haven't met him, Lois."  
"I mean, he's got the same genetic material as Superman. Same powers. But do you think that makes him a good person?"  
"Is this the nature/nurture debate?"  
"I guess so."  
"I think he'd have the same potential to be good like Superman," said Clark, looking out of the passenger window.  
"But he could be good, but maybe his version of good is our version of bad," said Lois.  
"I'd like to think there are some absolutes in that respect, but you may be right."  
"What do you think happened in the Himalayas?" asked Lois, completely ignoring Clark's reply.  
"Something bad."  
"No kidding. If it wasn't, we'd have more details about it. It's strange to think of something bad happening when the villain was defeated."  
"Defeated can mean a lot of things."  
"A bad alien dies while trying to take out our planet, hardly a tragedy, Clark."  
They rode the rest of the way silently. He couldn't tell her how it was done in cold blood.  
What if Emmet was right? If Helspont is dead then he can't invade Earth again. Ever. But what right did he have to kill him? He killed in cold blood. Murdered. Helspont was defeated. Done with. There was no need for it. None at all. He was done.  
But that's not what scared him the most. The scary part was that this was him. Superman and Emmet were the same genetic code. If Emmet can do something, so could Superman. The powers, while fascinating, were not concerning him. It was the choice of actions. He had fought enemies from alternate universes. But then you could hide behind the mask of the alternate universe. Now... Now he couldn't. This was truly a possibility for Superman: he could really become this thing.  
But that meant it could also work both ways. Emmet could become as good as Clark.  
Wraith came back to mind. Wraith, who did the right thing for wrong reasons. Who would be happy to kill for his nation. The person Superman couldn't change. The person with so much potential and yet it went wrong.  
That was possibly how Wraith had viewed Superman.  
Emmet could be a great force for good. Superboy, though designed to be a weapon, turned out to become a great hero in his own right.  
Maybe Emmet could become that as well.

They reached Metropolis a few hours later. Superman somehow enjoyed the procedure of flying. Clark Kent had to leave a paper trail, so this was something he had to do either way. But as Superman, flying had become almost routine. This allowed him to feel the privilege of flight. The amount people had to go through for something that he did so casually. Viewing the ability to flight from this angle humbled him, kept him on grounded. Not allowing him to believe he is greater than them.  
He left the airport via cab and was taken home.  
His door was unlocked. Clark used X-ray vision and saw the figure inside: Emmet.  
"I don't know what you think you're doing," said Clark as he walked into the apartment, "but this is not welcome."  
"Superman, do not make me laugh," said Emmet.  
So he knows my secret identity. He looked at Emmet. His hair was slightly longer than Clark's and his clothes were different. His slightly tanned skin gave him a look of a man of the field. He looked like someone who went shopping at the Gap. He looked completely human. He was not wearing glasses, but it would not be easy to just recognise him. He was good. Too good.  
"How do you know where I live?"  
"I have done my research. I learnt of your existence through Helspont, he talked a lot during my battle with him. I used far reaching probes and discovered where your planet was and started learning your languages and researched you personally as well. It was not too difficult to deduce who you were. Of course it helps when you have been able to observe the way I did."  
"What are you doing here?"  
"Just letting you know that I have found a place to stay, and I desire to learn."  
"You said that before."  
"True, but this time I am here to also ask for your help. I wish to learn of this planet through your eyes. Instruct me in your ways of being a hero."  
"Perhaps I will. First rule is: don't break into other people's homes."  
"I understand that this is upsetting. Fear not, I will not tell anyone where you live nor who you are. And as you can see, I can disguise myself well."  
Yes, he can.  
Clark was somewhat happy to hear this. He wanted to change Emmet. If Emmet was able to change then that meant that another planet could be saved. And it would mean something else: he was inherently a good guy. He always knew that his upbringing was what made him able to be the person he was today. But he wanted to believe that upbringing, however bad or different, could not influence him so badly. That no event can make him change into an Emmet. Into a despot.  
"Fine. I assume you know where I work?" asked Clark.  
"Yes, I do."  
"Ok. When there's trouble, I assume I'll see you then. If someone asks, you're my cousin from Los Angeles. Agreed?"  
"Yes. I shall call myself Emmet Joel."  
Superman nodded. He was happy that Emmet didn't take his last name. He didn't want to be associated with Emmet that closely. Not yet, anyway.  
Emmet then left through the door. Superman was alone in the apartment. He closed the door and locked it. He went to the couch and sat down on it, thinking about what to do. He always wanted to see the best in people, but was this going too far? Was he grasping at straws?  
"I haven't seen that look in a while," said a voice from the balcony. Wonder Woman. Diana. His eyes shone a little with the delight of her company.  
"I guess I have a lot on my mind." He said as he rose.  
They embraced, and Superman felt full again. Like he knew that things were going to be alright.  
"I do enjoy seeing you as Clark the reporter, didn't know how much though," she said with a little peck of a kiss.  
"I like being the reporter."  
"I hope you don't mind, but I ordered food here, I was getting hungry."  
"You ordered?"  
"Well, Cyborg did it for me."  
"What did you order?"  
"Burgers."  
No sooner than that and the intercom of the building buzzed.  
"Delivery," said the voice.  
Clark let the man in. After all his thinking during the day, this was a welcome distraction.


	14. Chapter 14: A Day in a Dual Life

Chapter Fourteen: A Day in a Dual Life

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!  
Click!  
It was lucky that Clark had super speed and felt the space between beeps as a long time so he could control his movements. In his mind, he had been up for a few minutes or so. In his youth, when he was slightly less careful, he'd smashed an alarm clock almost every other day.  
He thought of the farm, far away. People were probably in the fields already. Starting to sow, harvesting crops, feeding the cattle. He could bring to mind the smell of that farm, the fresh breeze that would very often greet him in the morning, the sound of his dad driving the old tractor, his mom expecting him downstairs, Clark getting ready to work, or to go to school, depending on the time and day.  
Pa.  
Ma.  
Their faces came into materialisation in his mind. He could see them again. Somehow, even though he was quite a bit taller than his parents, they seemed taller than him. But not in a hostile way, they made him feel safe, as if he were ten years old.  
"You're snoozing, Superman."  
Clark opened his eyes and sat up, looking to his side. Diana was there, in the large Superman T-shirt she wore as a sleeping gown. She looked small in the shirt, and yet somehow, though it really was quite a few sizes bigger than her, she seemed to fill it without it detracting from her femininity.  
"I'm up, I'm up." He left the bed and walked into the shower, not noticing the space that was between the two places. Super speed can do that to a person.  
Showering was never a very long procedure. Once done, He went out and dried himself quickly, then put on his suit. He always wore a suit to work when he could, though usually the same one.  
"Diana, you really shouldn't have," said Clark, as he smelt the bacon and eggs.  
"Who says it's for you?"  
He chuckled and walked out of the room into the small dinning room. Which was also the kitchen, which also extended into the living room.  
"You going to be alright?" she asked. She knew that he was probably fine from his fight yesterday, but she didn't mean that.  
"I don't know if he will show himself so soon, he seems more calculated than that."  
"I guess so. Anyway, I must go."  
"Paradise Island?"  
"Yes, apparently there is trouble brewing there, I'd rather be around to fend it off before it spreads."  
"Call if you need me."  
"Will do."  
A kiss. One passionate and loving kiss. It wasn't the last one in their minds, not even a 'just in case' kiss, but it had, as always, the force of their love behind it. She dressed in her armour and left via the window. Clark turned back towards his plate: burnt bacon and slightly raw eggs. Oh well, it could've gone worse. In fact it had when she'd first wanted to cook for him and the pan caught fire. He finished his meal quickly and took off for work. He decided to take the train, as there was no rush.  
The crowds milled around the train station as he entered the platform. There were trains coming almost every few minutes. Unlike Gotham, which had similar crowds, it seemed like every day was hopeful. Like everything could be alright.  
"Help!"  
Of course there was still crime in Metropolis.  
A thief had taken a woman's bag. In a train station. A little cliché but Clark never focused on that. Cliché happens because it has happened before many times. He couldn't turn into Superman, but he could help nonetheless. The police were on their way but would lose him very soon as he was heading for the exit. If he were to trip, then he would stumble into a wall. That'll stop him and allow the police to catch him. All this he noticed in the space of less than a heartbeat. Leaving his side bag hanging in the air, Clark ran at super speed and moved the thief's foot so that it would collide with his other foot, tripping him. He then quickly returned to his bag, which hadn't moved more than a nanometer, and watch his handiwork.  
The thief stumbled as one leg collided with another and face planted into the wall. No injury was sustained. Well, his nose was bleeding but not broken. A policeman was there quickly and cuffed him while the woman who was the victim of this crime retrieved her handbag.  
Looks like it was going to be an OK day.

"Who is this double?!"  
The office. Not just any office, not the bullpen. The office. His office. The office of Perry White, possibly the greatest editor ever, in Clark's eyes. Lois Lane was there along with Jimmy Olsen and a few other reporters. Of course Emmet was the topic. Clark had already handed in his article about the invasion. The terrible cost to human life, the damage that the people sustained. Nabbing the interviews was always more of a Lois Lane thing, and Clark was happy to keep it that way. There were more important stories to tell.  
"We need an interview, if he is anything like Superman, he will give us a statement, at least. I want this story by yesterday, understood?!" Perry white barked orders. Not spoke, barked. Somehow Clark always saw him as a loud version of Pa in many ways. That same honest integrity was present in both of them. They both had codes, but while Pa wanted to hide some things and expose others, Perry White fought for full disclosure. It brought to mind again the thought that he was lying to everyone. But then again, he wasn't. No one had asked him if he knew who Superman was, and he didn't have to volunteer that information. Some things shouldn't be exposed. And besides, I am Clark Kent.  
"Lois! You go and get me that interview! Clark, take Jimmy and finish the stories of the hurt and wounded. Cat! I want you to lead up the investigation in the UN, what did they know? How much was their choice? People, I want a full scale look at this invasion, it's about time we get some answers!"  
They all left the office at that moment, they knew when their meeting was done. Clark went back to his cubicle and started researching. Who was hit? Which officer was in charge of evacuating the people? Firemen that were on the scene? There were so many sources, it was lucky that he loved his job, otherwise he would've been in agony by now.  
"So when're we heading out?" asked Jimmy.  
Jimmy. Ginger, skinny and with a boyish smile constantly on his face. Probably one of the best photographers in the building. In any building. It's what happens when someone like Lois Lane takes control of your training: nothing less than perfect.  
"Right now, actually," said Clark, as he got up and took his coat with him. He took the papers that he'd printed with the names and locations of the different sources as well as their timetables so he could know when was best to get to them.  
"Ok, great... How about lunch?" asked Jimmy.  
"Lunch? It's barely nine o'clock."  
"Well... I didn't have much of a breakfast."  
"How much is not much?"  
"I had a cheerio." Jimmy's face was by now the epitome of sheepishness.  
"Just the one?"  
"One. Single. Cheerio."  
"Fine, I'll get you a sandwich downstairs."  
"You're the best, Clark!"  
They went over to the elevator, and got in. The elevator always made Clark feel a little funny, as he was able to see all of the particles in the air. Moving down and yet standing still. While this was a common enough thing, it was somehow still magical. Still beautiful.  
They reached the lobby. It was a square hall with the Daily Planet globe made of iron in the middle of it, inside of a fountain. It wasn't a look of extravagance, but rather it looked almost humbling. This is where you are, this is where you work. We place the world on a pedestal and show you what happens in it.  
They walked over to the little coffee shop that was in the lobby, a useful thing to have when you're burning the midnight oil, or when you're Jimmy Olsen.  
"A BLT, please," ordered Clark, already knowing what Jimmy would order, this was not the first time.  
"Coming right up," said the voice inside the cart.  
"Clark, nice to see you here," said a voice that sounded very similar to Clark's.  
Emmet.  
Emmet was there, wearing a nice suit and glasses. His suit was black with a red tie. He had a golden ring on with a ruby on it. His face was somehow slightly altered, Clark guessed that it was done with an electro-magnetic mask, similar perhaps to one Clark himself had used a few times.  
"I thought I missed you," said Emmet.  
"I didn't know you had a twin, Clark," said Jimmy.  
"He does not. Though we always did enjoy having fun with the seeming similarities. But as you can see, up close we are somewhat different."  
"Yes... Somewhat."  
"Anyway, you must not have received my message. I wanted to come along with you, see your job up close."  
"Right..." said Clark. He had no idea why Emmet was doing this, but maybe this was not a bad thing, but an opportunity. This way Clark could show Emmet something. He could show Emmet the way he sees the world. The reason he, and the other Justice League members, operate the way they do.  
"I'm sorry, I did not introduce myself, my name is Emmet. You must be Jimmy Olsen. I love your work."  
"Thanks, just doing my part."  
Clark looked at Emmet. What was his game? Times like these he wished that Bruce was here, helping him figure out a tactic.

"So the wall was shot there," pointed the foreman at a missing wall. The whole building looked like it was caving, about to collapse, "we need to destroy most of it. Not willing to take the risk of something shifting."  
"How long will it take for you to rebuild the structure?" asked Clark, jotting down notes in his little notebook.  
"A couple of months at least, could be longer if there is severe damage to the foundation."  
"You must be pretty upset about this."  
"Well, wouldn't go that far. It's my job to build, I'm just sorry I have to rebuild a perfectly good structure."  
"So in a way the invasion and other such catastrophes are helping you make a living."  
"No... I would've gotten work someplace else, I think. Always someone wanting to build, just a question of how long and how much. It's the homeless people I'm sad for, don't know where they go."  
Jimmy was taking photos nearby, a bit of ginger hair was all that was seen from his head if one was to look from the front. His flash going off continuously.  
"Sir, what would your opinion be on the way they operate, the superheroes, that is," asked Emmet, turning towards the conversation. He was with his back to them, looking at the ruined site that was under construction. His face was a mask of nonchalance. It was almost like he didn't have an agenda. And yet that was the most incriminating of things, or was Clark just being paranoid?  
Is this how Bruce thinks?  
"Well, I'd say that I hate cleaning up after them, but I understand the necessity. They aren't the reason these people invaded," said the foreman, and he seemed to be pleased with his answer.  
"What makes you say that?" Enquired Emmet.  
"Well... That's what I heard."  
"From who?"  
"People."  
"Well, you are misinformed, sir. They invaded in order to kidnap a few superheroes. So, actually, all of this is directly their fault."  
"What?"  
"Not to mention that this is not the first encounter with these aliens. This could have all been avoided if someone took certain actions a few years ago."  
"Emmet," said Clark, lightly pulling Emmet away from the foreman (though it looked that way, it was strong enough to topple a building) "I don't think that that theory has any evidence."  
"Wait-wait-wait, is he right?" asked the foreman.  
"Maybe," said Clark, "still investigating that."  
"These heroes could've avoided all this years ago?!"  
"No, they couldn't. That one is pretty certain."  
Jimmy was looking at Clark and an understanding passed between them. They needed to go, before they were blamed for withholding information.

The journey to the shelters passed in silence. Clark couldn't risk saying anything while Jimmy was around, fearing that he would give something away. Jimmy wasn't an idiot.  
They reached the shelter after a twenty minute drive. The drive through the city was odd: there were parts of the city that were brand new. Built very recently, others were under construction and some were still ruined from other fights. It took time for the city to be rebuilt and it never seemed to catch up enough to be completely repaired. It was almost like going through a museum of his fights. Or a path of his failings. Though these weren't failings, he'd taken care to put as few people in danger as possible. He'd beaten his opponents. What else could he have done? Not fight? It's not easy to just move a super powered being to a victim-free area. These weren't failings, they were trials and successful ones at that. Not all, maybe, but most.  
They reached the shelter for those whose houses had been destroyed by the latest alien invasion. The hall was crowded with people, all looking for a place to sit. Some people were huddled together, strangers and families and neighbours all squished together. It was a refugee camp inside Metropolis. The notion broke Superman's heart. The great city of tomorrow, and yet here it was, housing its deserted civilians. Those he'd vowed to protect, and in doing so had destroyed their homes. He knew he couldn't do everything. He couldn't have saved their lives without there being some damage. That's why he was a reporter: so he could tell their story, raise awareness and seek truth and justice for these people who were victims of cruelty. He did everything he could do, without becoming a despot, without taking away from others.

"They should clean up after themselves!" yelled one woman, whose four-year-old son was sitting next to her, staring blankly ahead.  
"So they should take care of it rather than a certified foreman?" asked Clark.  
"Yes! They could rebuild the house in an instant, why keep denying us our homes? They were the ones that destroyed it!"  
"Maybe, but doesn't the fact that you're alive because of them mean that you should at least try and be thankful for their help?"  
"Why? I heard that it was their fault! That they allowed this alien to return? They could've dealt with him before, but Superman didn't kill him."  
"Superman doesn't kill."  
"And look where it's gotten us," she said with a look in her eyes that suggested fanatic hatred.  
"Excuse me," said Emmet, "but I must ask: do you not think that you are being a bit hypocritical?"  
"No, and who are you?"  
"My name is Emmet. I was just wondering, because if Superman was to kill someone, would that make you feel safe?"  
"Well, maybe, if it was an alien."  
"So if he killed, you would be at ease with him being around? An alien that has the power to destroy the Earth and is willing to kill?"  
"Well, maybe not."  
"And yet you criticise him for not killing?"  
"Well those were different situations!"  
"Do you really feel that one life is better than another?"  
"Yes!"  
"And who gets to decide?"  
She was silent for a moment, then sulked. She mumbled something about the law knowing who is bad and who is good, but Emmet's point was still there, like a great void. With a small smile he left, without saying another word.  
Jimmy was helping a few people move a sofa so that an elderly couple could sit better. The kids were allowed to join as well. It was only fair in the eyes of everyone around. He also got a few good shots of the hall.  
"Well, that seems to be it," said Jimmy. Clark finished his interview with the head of the Hall, and they went back into the street. It was nearing late afternoon and Jimmy, as well as Clark, was hungry. But Clark heard something. And it was not good.  
"Be right back Jimmy," and off he went.  
A crane was falling, probably a malfunction of some kind. It happened rarely in general, only when they were rebuilding frantically. The time constraint and pressure from the public made people push the machines too far. Clark quickly changed into his Superman suit and flew off to save the people there. Simple job: grab the crane, make sure the driver was secure, then assess the damage. The metal was ruined at the bottom, saw Clark with his telescopic vision. So he lowered the crane down, cutting it with his heat vision and thus making a stack of crane parts and finally allowing the driver to exit safely. A crowd had gathered and Superman saw Emmet and Jimmy in it. He waved and flew away. Quickly changing back into his clothes, Clark reentered the scene from a different place, thus acting like he'd been there all along.

Two articles later, he was sitting in front of his computer, Emmet just disappeared after the crane incident, and Superman couldn't conclude anything from his look around the crane for any signs of sabotage. Looked like an actual accident. Who would want to ruin a crane, anyway?  
But Clark was not at ease. He was troubled. What the old lady said had hurt him, he was only trying to help, and even though he knew she wasn't quite right, it felt bad hearing her complain about him. He didn't want to admit it, but he was in a way angry at her for saying what she'd said. He had saved her, he had saved them all so many times, and whilst he knew a home was a big thing, he wanted them to understand that it was not done intentionally. He always wanted to minimise damage to everyone and their property.  
He sat back, looking out of his window. It was six thirty in the evening. People were together. He could hear the families talking about their days, saying nice things and bad things. He could hear the misunderstood teenagers who wanted more time to themselves, refusing to share their feelings but wanting to at the same time. He could hear the calls made to technical assistants.  
He heard a man beating his wife. That was not alright by any means. Ten seconds later he was back in his chair, the abusive husband with a few bruises of his own and soon to be in custody. He listened to the city again, and he almost felt like crying. The woman he had just saved was trying to stop the police from taking her husband away, she wants him. Says she was at fault, she wasn't pressing charges. Had Clark done something wrong?  
"I have seen that face upon mine many times. It is something that troubles us all: doubt." Emmet was behind him. Superman had registered that he was coming, but he didn't care. He was too caught up with what happened with the woman he'd saved.  
"She is trying to save him," said Clark, "I don't understand why, and I don't understand what I did wrong."  
"You did nothing wrong, Superman, it is she that is wrong. She that is at fault here. She believes she deserves the assault. She does not know, does not dare to know, what freedom is, does not know her true place in the system. He abuses her for everything that he does not like. Why was he assaulting her?"  
"She overcooked his dinner," said Clark. While a part of him knew that Emmet knew this as well, it wasn't registered. All he thought of was that Emmet may be right. "So what should I have done?" asked Clark, "let her be beaten? Try and explain it to her?"  
"Sadly, no. You are not to do those things. She is to be guided by the authorities. She needed to have been educated when she was young. She should have had better governors."  
"I almost knew you'd bring something like this up," Clark got up and turned to look at Emmet.  
"You use anger to try and justify yourself, that is not the way to win an argument."  
"There is no argument. On this planet, you will need to understand, we do not interfere with human politics. We are here only to protect the people from threats that no one can handle alone."  
"You do not interfere with politics? What about all the times you called in on the so called United Nations? You were not interfering then?" Emmet spoke while he walked away from Clark and towards the window.  
"They needed us, we don't answer to them," said Clark, still sitting down.  
"You sure they wanted you in the manner in which you come?"  
"Maybe, maybe not. But in the end we are here to help and we try and minimise our contact with the political world." Clark stood up as he spoke, and unconsciously clenched his fists, but Emmet remained facing the window. Finally he turned around, hands clasped behind his back.  
"Do you not see how futile it is?" said Emmet, "your brotherhood of super powered beings are an iconic stance but also a stance against the rules you try and protect. You want them to accept you as both Superman and Clark Kent. You want the people and their governments to accept you as an aid to their problems but at the same time you undermine them by not becoming one of them. For all your posturing, you are a symbol of resistance and revolution, saying that the laws are not good enough and that they should be changed, but you do nothing about it. You raise anarchy."  
"I raise hope. The system isn't perfect. That's very true. And yes I am a paradox and an oxymoron. I attempt to show that people can become the best they can be. I go beyond the law because the law must never be allowed to do what I do. It must never be allowed to break into a place without proper evidence. I am here for when the democratic system is in trouble and the only way to protect its citizens is by a conscious insertion of lawlessness, while causing the smallest harm possible. I don't just break into anyone's house, I only interrogate people that have information and I never torture. I protect people's rights to the best degree that I can. When a criminal does something that allows him to slip away, I do what I can to stop it. If I was truly to be lawless, then there would be very few criminals still alive. I stand up for principles, it is the only way to keep them going, to make sure they exist. And I hope people will follow me in preserving these principles and then render me moot. My job is to help people and then let them retire me because my job is done. That's what you don't understand: we are meant to have an end to our jobs, but we have to keep fighting until that end reaches us."  
Superman stood in a half fighting stance, his suit on the verge of tearing, his tie slightly waving from a gust of wind that entered through the open window. Emmet stood exactly as he did before, but his eyes gleamed, as if he not only observed everything but also noted a few weaknesses.  
"You have a very limited view of progress," said Emmet in a cold and calculated voice.  
"I think you do."  
They looked at each other. Superman was almost begging for a fight.  
Emmet turned around and left without saying a word. Superman stayed standing for a while longer. After a few long minutes he relaxed and sat down again in front of his computer. What if he was doing things wrong?  
He had no right to force others to his opinions, and as an alien he didn't really have the right to fully represent humanity. He would defend it though, and keep to his desire to not affiliate himself with any government. He had to be able to support the right, not the strong. Not a specific government.  
A few texts later he was gone. To London.  
To Diana.


	15. Chapter 15: It's Complicated

Chapter Fifteen: It's Complicated

"Superman, please join me above the city of London, there is much we should discuss. Much I can learn from you." The voice was inside Clark's head, it was Emmet. Superman had learnt how to defend himself from psychic attacks to some extent, so he felt secure in his ability to deflect Emmet's intrusion. At least to some extent. But somehow, the invitation was, well, inviting. He actually felt that Emmet wanted to converse. To try and learn about this planet, maybe there was hope for him after all.  
He started to get ready, and explained to Wonder Woman why he was going. She never did like it when he left her bed for no reason, or for bad reasons.  
"Clark, why do you feel the need to go to him?"  
"Because he's a powerful being that has the potential to be good," said Clark putting on his Superman suit.  
"Clark, I don't think you can save this one. He's too desiring to get involved. He's not a good guy."  
"I have to believe that he can be. I have to believe that he has that goodness as well inside him."  
"Why? He's a menace and the only reason the League hasn't taken action yet is by your wishes and hopes. Let us get him off the planet," while her voice was fierce, she was sitting up in bed, beautiful as ever. Only her eyes matched her voice.  
"No! We tolerate the existence of worse people, and we don't throw them off the planet."  
"We do when they're bad aliens, Clark."  
"He's not bad," whispered Clark.  
"Why are you defending him so badly?"  
"Because he's me!"  
That came out very loudly. Diana was shocked, and Clark was shocked at his emotions as well. His head sank, and he stared at he floor, and his hands.  
"He's me, Di. He's me. A clone of me. He's not some doppelgänger that I can blame that on. He's me. Purely me. Not a Luther experiment, me. If he can be evil, then that means I can be evil. If he can't turn from who he is and become the good person I like to think I am, then maybe the same fate awaits me should I make a mistake. Maybe everyone's doubts about my nature are a certainty."  
"Clark, my love, you are a good person. The best person. You are not him. He is not you. Shared genes aren't everything. You know that. Superboy has a part of him that is Lex Luther, he is still a good hero, a great one even."  
"Every time I go, I have to be so careful, so cautious. I don't want to make a mistake, and if he can be better, then shouldn't we try?" His face was imploring a very specific answer. Clark felt so vulnerable, so weak and alone.  
"People who are so immersed in who they are, often can't be changed. It's why I don't think you'll ever change, it's why I think he might never change."  
Clark sat down on the bed, Superman uniform complete. She was sitting next to him, her hand on his face, raising it for him to look at her. She loved him, and she believed in him, completely.  
They shared a kiss, and she stayed in bed while he went off for Emmet. She hoped he wouldn't be disappointed, she hoped he would be sensible and not jeopardise himself for no good reason. She sat there, hoping that his hope will be rewarded.  
From the Earth's lower stratosphere the world looks quiet, it looks at ease. One can barely imagine that there is a living organism on the planet. From this far up, Clark can tune out the noise and be at peace without leaving the atmosphere. Emmet was floating there, hovering like a ghost, like a spectre. He looked forbidding and threatening, but Clark wasn't alarmed, he was Superman. He'd fought Darkseid, Brainiac, and many others. This was just another opponent. But maybe it was an ally in the making. In any case, he was not scared. Not worried. Or was he lying to himself in thinking all this?  
"Thank you for joining me here, brother." To hear Emmet call Clark brother felt wrong. It felt just wrong and horrible, Clark had to suppress a shiver running down his spine. Not quite well enough.  
"You said you wanted to learn, what is it you want to learn?" asked Clark, coming to his side. There they were: the two most powerful beings on the planet. Probably some of the most powerful beings in the universe, looking down on the planet and about to discuss it. This was in many ways wrong, it felt odd. But was the Justice League Watchtower any different?  
"You spoke before of the equilibrium you have between you and the governments of this planet. You said that you did not want to have any partnership to a government."  
"Is there a question here?"  
"I was just wondering, what about those that war with each other? What of the governments that oppress their people's basic human rights?"  
"You're asking why we don't intervene there? Because it's not our place to intervene there. We cannot change the political atmosphere in any place, only set an example and hope that people follow it." Superman looked at Emmet, trying to gauge if this made any impact upon him. It didn't seem so.  
"But look at the country of Russia," said Emmet, as they both turned their heads towards it, "there is a dictator there and you do nothing to topple him. You do not allow people their human rights."  
"If I interfere, then that means I am dictating what is right and what is wrong. That is totalitarianism. It makes me a dictator. I will not be one. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs. Their lifestyles. I can influence people in a way that they should uphold principles and ideals. Then I can hope that the people can make the choices for themselves."  
"But what of countries that are rife with war and violence? You say you will not interfere because you will not become a dictator, so you uphold human life while damning it at the same time. You may save people from an earthquake, but then you damn them to live under a terrorising dictator." Emmet didn't flinch, no muscle moved except the ones necessary to speak, and to hold a small scowl. The scowl was that of a general or war leader. Superman could imagine Roosevelt wearing that same scowl.  
"The United Nations is a body that tries to allow civilians in such oppressed countries to have a life where their rights are protected. If we intervened, then we would make the UN, or us, dictators. That would lead to war," said Superman, looking at Russia, admiring the size of the country.  
"You could stop the war pretty quickly."  
"At the cost of many lives."  
"Sacrifices must be made."  
"I beg to differ."  
They didn't look at each other, but the hostility was felt even so. They hovered in silence, pondering the world. This was useless, thought Clark, we won't agree on this. And I doubt he will ever change or not act on these things. Still, innocent until he does something wrong.  
"What of racism?" said Emmet, spontaneously, or so it seemed.  
"What of it?" replied Clark, trying to estimate just how much of this had Emmet scripted.  
"Why do you not try and stop it? Antisemitism has been around from the dawn of the Semites, and it has not abated one bit. You have not stopped racism from flowing. Muslims scream to the world that they are harassed in their own countries while others of their religion try and destroy everyone else's countries. You have not managed to stop it."  
"You can't stop racism if it doesn't want to be stopped. Racism is a result of lack of education, lack of knowledge and experience as well as close-mindedness. I save everyone. Anyone. Doesn't matter what background they have, what race or religion. I save everyone I can with the same commitment."  
"Why not issue a statement? Why not proclaim racism as wrong?" Emmet's question was a good one, one that the League had considered before. Are still debating.  
"The League does charity work and we show our support of all groups, there is no stronger statement than that."  
They hovered in silence, then Clark and Emmet looked over at Asia, or rather Asia started to come towards them, sprawling far away. It was tough for Clark, he was a reporter, his job was to give the facts about events. Find out the truth, and as Superman his job was to act on those truths. Here he was debating like a lawyer or philosopher, though the gravity suggested that it was more like judge. A judge that needed to determine the fate of the world. Every part of him felt sickened at the thought. He had no right to do anything like that. If there is a God, it is his job to do all of this. Not theirs. Never theirs.  
"Look over there, a continent rife with violence," said Emmet.  
"Sadly, that's true." Clark hovered there for a moment, thinking up a defence, a thought that would maybe extract from Emmet goodness. "So which side would you choose when looking at it?" asked Clark, hopeful that he would get the conversation going where he wanted it to.  
"The right one," said Emmet, without flinching.  
"You say it as if it is obvious what the answer is."  
"It is in my opinion." Emmet was hovering in a fully erect manner, with his hands clasped behind his back and barely even glancing at Superman.  
"And what about when you look at the nation of Israel and the Gaza Strip. Both sides have claim for that land. Israel fights in retaliation to attacks on its citizens, but then when it bombs, it bombs civilians because the Hamas won't allow its citizens to leave."  
"The evil ones seem obvious to me."  
"True. But they were elected."  
"And they bring violence forth. Remove them and you get peace."  
"Remove them and you create both anarchy and resentment for the world. What they need is to change their own government, to do it themselves. They voted monsters in, now that they know this, they must change the government, take the responsibility."  
"And if they do not want to?" Emmet's voice became cold, almost sinister.  
"Then the consequences will be upon their heads. But we don't have the right to save them from their belief, for that is robbing them of their right to believe. That's not who we are, and it's what we cannot become without having what we stand for corrupted. We are a symbol that is interpreted and understood equally by all people, it will become a disputed symbol. One whose meaning is good for some and bad for others."  
"Some people hate your symbol and some people love your symbol. You are a controversial figure, even after all the years in which you have been doing what you are doing."  
"Maybe, but it is a friend to all-"  
"Is it?"  
"All who don't harm others, yes. I protect this planet. I fight for those who can't fight for themselves."  
"And are all people equal?"  
"Yes."  
"Wrong." It was a statement, a fact, for Emmet. He didn't even flinch, though his voice took on a shade of hostility as he continued, "they are all equal in the eyes of the law, but the life of a president is more important than that of a builder. The life of a private less important than that of a general. You are fighting in honour of something that does not even exist."  
"I fight to make it."  
"If you were to rule you could make it. Easily."  
"But then it would be forcing it. It would be a dogma."  
"But it would exist nonetheless." Emmet said this with a hint of a smirk on his face.  
"And how does one know if it's working? Just because I think it's right doesn't always make it right."  
"If you allow debate you could find that out."  
"No, because even if they debate the benefits and disadvantages of my policies, if I force them then these debates have no meaning."  
"I never said that you cannot take advice. Be like your Roman Emperor Augustus. He was constantly elected into his position as Emperor. And he did good deeds while allowing his deeds to be debated."  
"The rule of one will always become corrupted."  
"Not if he is the right one."  
"I do not have the right."  
"This again? You do have the right. You have the only right. No one can challenge you. Your intellect can become three times better than the smartest man on this planet if you choose that course. Think about it."  
Emmet had turned during his last words and was looking at Clark, and Clark was looking back at him. Two gods disagreeing about the fate of the world, two gods that seem doomed to clash. But Clark still had hope. Superman was a symbol, Superman was an attempt at embodying hope and fighting for those who need it. He would not strike first. But he would defend Earth.  
Emmet flew away, towards America. He knew that Emmet was going to visit him again. Superman turned once more to look upon the Middle East, he saw the rockets, the terror of the people there. Could Emmet be right? If Superman intervened, the conflict could be over in a moment. Done. Hamas in jail. But that would lead to chaos, all his good work would be undone. Superman had assisted such a regime change once. He would not do it again. It was not his right. It was not for him to decide.  
Clark turned and flew to his apartment. The window was, as always, open. Being on the seventh floor had its advantages. He quickly changed into his working clothes. He was late for work, or was going to be soon enough, but he could write about the hostilities in Israel and Gaza, so at least he had a form of excuse. Though he knew that Perry would not want it nearly as much as he'd like even one sentence from Emmet. But news is news, and Perry would have to make do with what he got, they all would. He rushed over to the office and went to his desk. He was already rushing into the article he was writing, as if he'd always been there.  
"Oh, good morning Clark. You're in early today," said Clair. She was one of the late-night maintenance people. She was a dark skinned, slim lady. Her large, brown eyes were always alert, but not in a threatening way. She had a simplicity in her looks that, while not attractive, had a form of grace. Her hair was worn in a bun. She preferred working at night and she always made sure the equipment was in the best shape it could be. She was a huge help. She was the office's silent fairy that made everything possible later on.  
"What?" was all Clark managed to say.  
"You're very early today. Couldn't sleep, or a big story?"  
Clark looked at his watch. It was six thirty eight a.m. Was it really that early?  
"Erm, big story. Or I hope it is. Hope you don't mind," said Clark, blushing slightly.  
"Not at all. Just finished work on your computer, the fan needed a bit of cleaning, should be running smoothly now."  
"Thanks."  
"Don't mention it. I'll just work on stuff someplace else, I won't disturb you." And she walked out of the offices quickly and quietly. She was a little shy, but always friendly.

"I believed it was time that we met," said Emmet. He was standing in his apartment, staring at a wall. Actually he was staring through the wall at the city beyond. He enjoyed using his powers this way, it denoted that no secret was hidden from him. With Emmet, everything was a lesson, a sign, a metaphor.  
"Yes, it is," said the voice behind him, "how're our plans coming along?"  
"My plans. Do not forget your place in the scheme of things."  
"I brought you here, it is my plan. My desires."  
"You are an ambitious genius, and I have use for you, but killing Superman is a last resort. Having Superman on our side would be much more beneficial."  
"Stop staring at the wall. I believe I am slightly more interesting than that wall."  
"You are. But I am not looking at a wall, but at the city behind it." Emmet turned around and looked at his host. The integral part of this plan. Lex Luthor. He was a somewhat tall, bald man. He had an expensive looking suit on and his face was a mask of evil plans and complete domination over a situation. They were locked in battle not dissimilar to the one he was in the midst of with Superman. Each of them was playing the other. Emmet knew that Luthor thought he had a way of beating him, and Emmet knew he could destroy Luthor. But not yet. Not yet.  
"Is the device ready?" asked Emmet.  
"So the plan is going towards that finality? What happened to your great debating skills?"  
"One cannot argue with one who will not see reason. Is the device ready?"  
"Yes, and it has been placed where you asked for it. Ready when you are."  
"Excellent. Now I will require time to think."  
"No, not any more. You will destroy him for me, and then the League. The planet will be ours to rule and make better!"  
"Not yet. For the plan to work I will need more time."  
"How much time does it take?"  
"How long have you been trying to defeat Superman? It is not always as simple as it seems."  
"I will be in my office, come to me when you want the detonator."  
Luthor left the apartment and Emmet returned to his staring. He looked far and saw his prey: Superman. Disguised as a journalist and typing at a computer. He has no idea of what is about to come.


	16. Chapter 16: A Villainous Fire

Chapter Sixteen: A Villainous Fire

Clark heard it before he saw it.  
Fire.  
Jumping out of his chair he looked around. A few kilometres away, in a chemical building, a fire was erupting. It was already starting to get out of hand. And Clark knew exactly who was needed for this job.  
Scurrying towards the stairs, Clark dashed quickly to the roof, then, barging through the doors after making sure no one was around, he leapt out as Superman. The billowing of the cape as he rushed off was somehow relaxing, and yet also made him feel the burden he carried. He couldn't see the big red "S" on his chest. He didn't see the colours. He heard the cape, reminding him who he is, and the responsibility that accompanied it.  
The chemical lab was already up in flames. The fire has also spread to a tenement building next to it. Wait, thought Superman, this is a secret chemical lab belonging to S.T.A.R. Labs. This is an ARGUS kept location for storing... Oh no.  
Just as that thought occurred to him, he saw his opponent. Metallo. He was there, with a new and improved heart. How much Kryptonite can there be in the world? Metallo's new heart was shining. From this distance, almost ten storey, Superman was not affected, but at what range would he be? And Metallo was known for making a havoc whenever he was in town, just to challenge Superman.  
"So, we have a new opponent. I must say that your life on this planet is never boring."  
Emmet, just what Clark needed, another trigger-pulling person on the scene. But Emmet wasn't a killer, he only killed those he considered bad. So if Superman played it right...  
"I've got Metallo, you go ahead and secure the buildings. Get the people out of there."  
"I believe that is a bad management our abilities-"  
"Now!"  
Superman dove into the action, at near the speed of sound he rushed and delivered his first punch to Metallo, who had only taken three steps from the building, that was how fast Superman was. Metallo was a blond haired man in a huge metal suit. The metal suit put him a whole meter taller than Superman at least. There wasn't much left of his sanity, the transfusion of Kryptonite was the cause of that, but he could still think, that was for sure. And his hatred for Superman was bountiful. The punch sent Metallo two blocks away, enough distance for the Kryptonite to have little effect on him, but for a split second he had felt the change, this Kryptonite was very pure. Extremely strong. Long range attacks could do the trick here.  
"John, you don't have to do this. Let me help you."  
"Help me by dying!" And out came a blast from his chest. A Kryptonite infused energy ball hurtled at Superman faster than he could react. Superman moved but the ball still hit his shoulder, sending him flying to the side.  
This makes things a bit tricker, thought Superman.

Emmet was in the building. The chemical lab was hoarding Kryptonite. Luckily it barely affected him. He had made sure that the amounts needed to affect him would be substantial. But the building was empty. At least in that they were efficient. The fire had spread further down the block, and got to a tenement building. He rushed over to the building. Rudimentary construction, it would not hold for long, and he needed to evacuate the building. Using his senses, he saw where each person was. Quickly he extracted the family that was trapped in their apartment. The man whose leg was trapped under a wooden beam, the young girl that was pinned down in her room. They were safe. Emmet turned back towards the building. The building was going to collapse, and he saw two more targets: a woman with a baby on the first floor, trapped by the wall that was starting to collapse and a street sleeper: a man dressed in rags and living in a cardboard box. No job, no use to society. How could they allow him to exist? Emmet flew into the building and saved the woman. He could have saved the street man, but his life was pointless, useless to society. He did not tolerate that on his world, and he would not tolerate it on his new world. Never.

Superman got up only to see Metallo's fist smash into his face. That sent him flying backwards. Which in his mind he knew was a good thing. He knew that he could beat Metallo without getting close to him. But that could mean much more destruction around the city. The only chance he had in making the damage minimal was to put some metal over the Kryptonite reactor on Metallo's chest and fight him in close quarters. There! A car roof that was a good size. He hoped they wouldn't mind too much. Superman swooped down and tore the roof off, with it he then rushed at Metallo, pushing the car roof onto his chest and, using heat vision and freeze breath, mounted it onto his chest, obscuring the Kryptonite. Some radiation was still leaking, but it wasn't nearly enough to make an actual difference. The pain from being that close to the Kryptonite was excruciating, but with the traces of lead in the roof it quickly subsided.  
Superman punched Metallo's mechanical leg, severing it. It wasn't his real leg, and though there may be pain, destroying a machine was hardly something immoral. Using heat vision, Superman destroyed the cannons on his arms as they emerged to fire at him. With a well calculated blow to the head, Metallo was down. Superman looked around but Emmet was gone. The fire was out and the civilians seemed to be safe.  
Superman took his leave of the scene, whilst he did that he saw Lois and Jimmy, already getting the interviews that they could and the shots that could be taken. He paused his flight for a bit, he decided to give Jimmy a good picture, seemed like the nice thing to do. He was reportedly Superman's pal, after all.  
Zooming through the city, Clark stopped three muggings and a robbery. These crimes would always happen, there was no way to avoid them, people would be desperate, always. Bruce thought the best way was to make the criminals scared. Clark had a different idea: hope. Make the criminally inclined hope that they could make it without resorting to crime, make society hope that they could help these people make it, and maybe they wouldn't feel so desperate. Fear was only useful to an extent. Once people stopped seeing you as such a large threat, it'd dissipate. Humanity is smart, and that's why tyranny never holds, it's why Bruce will have difficulty at some point: he will either lose or take things too far.

Clark sat at his desk a few seconds later, typing the last bit of the Gaza story and sent it to editing. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the TV monitor talking about the fire. Once again he saw himself fighting Metallo, and he saw Emmet put out the fire by creating a vacuum into the bay. Simple and elegant.  
"We have confirmation that only one person has died in this attack," said the reporter and Clark was glued to the set from that point, "an as of yet unidentified homeless person who was trapped in the alley in which the building fell. Eye witnesses say that the second Superman allowed this-"  
"Thank you, Dorris," the line was cut to the newsroom, "but this just in: a video taken by a bystander has in fact caught the whole thing on video using their phone. This is amateur filming, but we will show it to you now." Then it was back to the scene, but this time through the eyes of a wobbly and shaking phone camera. The building was about to collapse, you could hear Superman's fight with Metallo. And then it showed the homeless guy, leg trapped under a piece of wood and he was unable to move. Emmet was on the screen. He rushed into the building and came out the other side with a woman and child. Five seconds later the building collapsed on top of the homeless guy.  
Five seconds.  
That was much more time than was needed to save him. Clark had trusted him. He'd trusted Emmet and now a man was dead. He was dead because Emmet decided his life was not as important. He couldn't see Emmet in the video after he saved the woman and child, could something have happened that hadn't allowed him to save the homeless person?  
No, and you know it. There was no other call for help, no other site. Emmet left after that, you know it, Clark. He let a man die, but why? There was no need for him to die!  
Then, like a bolt of lightning it hit him. Emmet didn't want to acclimatise to this world, he wanted to know how Clark operates first hand, to see all of Earth's defences. You could only know something truly by seeing it yourself. He was a conqueror, otherwise why would he allow himself to be caught on tape doing something like that? He knew that Clark was against violence, let alone killing. This act was as plain as an act of war.  
Clark was holding his head, how could he be so naive to think that Emmet was here for other reasons? Because I have hope, it's what makes me, me. But Emmet had failed, and would have to be sent away.  
But did that mean that Clark had failed with Emmet? Could Clark fall the way Emmet had?  
"Clark! Are you listening to me?" Perry was two feet away and hammering about how Clark needs to get on this as soon as possible. He heard him loud and clear.  
"I'm on it," and he left for the elevator to get to work.  
As he got to the lobby his cellphone rang.  
"Clark."  
"Bruce."  
"I saw it."  
"I know."  
"The League is going to handle this, with or without you." Batman's voice didn't betray any emotion.  
"I'm in. Can you track him?"  
"No, and maybe that's not a terrible thing right now. We don't have a plan."  
"So what do we do?" Clark felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his head while he waited for Bruce's reply.  
"Meet us at the third meeting point. We will all be there."  
"Got it."  
Forgetting the assignment, forgetting everything he may have planned, he left the building and went into an empty alley. There he quickly changed and flew out. Bruce was right to have the meeting at a different place. It was the only way.

He flew over to his Fortress of Solitude, it was the third place they could meet after the Hall of Justice and the Watchtower. Luckily, Superman had never divulged the location to Emmet, there hadn't been any need for it. He got there in time to see that the Flash and Wonder Woman were already there. They couldn't get in without his clearance. Or rather they could, but were on the wrong side of the fortress to get in.  
"Follow me," said Clark and they all went towards the entrance. As they got there, Green Lantern landed, as well as Kara. Supergirl.  
"What are you doing here?" asked Clark.  
"We're here to help, Superman," said a young voice from above. Superboy. So the whole family was here.  
"How did you even know we were meeting here?"  
"I told them," said Batman, emerging from a boomtube along with Cyborg and Aquaman.  
"Is this necessary?" asked Clark, he hated putting these two in danger, he felt like he was the protector of the two, even if Kara had been sent to protect him.  
"It's absolutely necessary. We will need all the big guns we can find. I also invited J'onn."  
"And where is he?" asked Hal, impatient for a fight as always. Clark thought that Hal was seeing this as a way to prove that he could take out Superman, most of them were. Though for different reasons. They all wanted to make sure that they could if Clark ever went rogue...  
J'onn landed a few paces away from everyone else, and walked towards them. His gait was heavy and uncertain, as if he wasn't sure that he belonged there. He'd been chosen by the government of the US to join the Justice League of America specifically to defeat Superman. But Clark never thought he liked, or wanted, the job.  
Shazam landed next, his eyes were the expression of pure wonderment. "This looks a lot cooler than my place. How long you had it for?" asked Shazam, forgetting the reason why they'd come in the first place.  
"A while," said Clark. Trust a younger person to make you feel like everything was under control. But in Billy's case it wasn't arrogance but innocence and good heartedness. Sometimes it was almost impossible to not see how Billy was the mortal with the purest of hearts.  
They all entered the Fortress of Solitude, the great hall of ice would allow them to be completely invisible to the outside world. Even to Emmet.  
They walked through Superman's mementoes, then through his zoo.  
"What is that thing?" asked Barry, he'd never really been in the Fortress, and he'd definitely never seen a creature like that. It was furry like a husky, but it was in the shape of a lizard with fingers without nails and a tail that ended in a fan-like shape.  
"It's called a Wikzokatzan," said Hal, "they were thought to be almost extinct. I didn't know you kept one of them, Supes."  
"He tagged along one time. Felt wrong to just leave him," said Superman, stroking the furry creature.  
"Can I take him for a walk?" asked Shazam.  
"Ha. I doubt he'd like that. It's a bit of a lazy animal," said Superman as he returned to the group  
"Well, petting him is cool. And he'd probably like my tiger," said Shazam.  
"You have a tiger?" asked the Flash, who couldn't help but be dragged into the conversation.  
"Sure," said Shazam, slightly puffing out his chest.  
"We can discuss pets when this is over," said Batman, and they all fell silent. They remembered why they were there again.  
But it was a moment that everyone was thankful for. Everyone but Batman. He had no time for distractions. For something that was insignificant. And everything that wasn't the end of the world was a distraction. This would take all of his acumen, his expertise. This was a Superman with little moral compass and a lot of training. This was a Superman that was not afraid of being super in every sense.  
They reached the large hall where the fortress erected a great round table with chairs. The chairs were white as snow and with curved sides, they looked like eggshell. As the guests sat down the hollow seat filled with a comfortable gel-like substance to sit on. It hardened slightly, making all the chairs the most comfortable to sit that could be fashioned. The chair moved with the person so that shifting in one's chair was unnecessary. It even allowed the Flash to constantly move without it being noticeable.  
"I have satellites trying to locate Emmet," said Batman.  
"And I'm hooked up to their feeds, Batman. If they find him, I'll know," said Cyborg.  
"Good. Now this is an opponent that is stronger than any we've faced, as Superman has managed to defeat most of them, if not all of them, alone. We need to match that raw power. We don't have to defeat him, we just need to subdue him. We don't kill our enemies, we drive them away whenever possible. That's the aim, but don't hold anything back. This is going to be an accumulative assault. We don't all go firing up-"  
"And why's that?" GL seemed a little too eager to contradict Batman.  
"It may allow him to defeat some of us quicker, this way the battle stretches on so his stamina will also be depleting." Once again, Batman's logic seemed to be sound, "our first priority," continued Batman, "is minimising civilian casualties. Flash, GL, Shazam, that's you three. You will be ready to join us when your turn comes. Superman will go in first. J'onn, you wait until they start fighting before you start using your psychic abilities. I want him off balance. Once you start that, then you can begin your physical assault. But remember: your primary objective is to attack psychically."  
"Understood," said J'onn. His deep, powerful voice was almost devoid of emotion. He was really hating every single second of this.  
"Wonder Woman, Aquaman, you're next. Your magic is needed so bring your weapons. Hopefully this will be enough. Shazam is next, along with GL and Flash once they evacuate the area."  
"Seems simple enough," said GL.  
"It is anything but simple. Emmet will be ready for this. He has studied us. He will know our weaknesses. Cyborg. You go on right after those three engage. I will be primary back-up. If all things go badly, then I'll come in."  
"With what exactly?" asked Hal, "if all of our firepower won't stop him, what can you do?"  
"Kryptonite. I want it as second to last resort as it will probably incapacitate Superman as well. It won't have an environmental effect after three minutes. That gives us three minutes if we need it."  
"Why not open with it and pounce then?" asked the Flash.  
"It will neutralise our biggest gun right away and I know Emmet has immunity, we need to wear him down first. If we can't after all of that, Supergirl and Superboy will come in as well."  
"You think that won't stop him?" asked Hal. "It's much more than enough to take Darkseid."  
"He is stronger than Darkseid." The silence that followed this statement was alive, freezing every person in the room. Darkseid was their most powerful opponent to date.  
"When do we go? I can't sit here and wait forever," said Hal. Always the first to overcome his fears.  
"Go. And be ready. I will summon you when we have a location," said Batman, and they all left for their cities. For their work. All but Clark, Bruce and Diana. All but the Trinity, as they were dubbed. They stayed behind in the great hall and waited until everyone was gone.  
"Why Supergirl and Superboy? Are they really necessary?" asked Clark.  
"Yes," was Bruce's answer.  
"They're a last line of defence after your last line of defence," said Wonder Woman.  
"I know," replied Superman, head in his head. "Then how are they necessary?"  
"Because we need everything we have to fight this." Bruce's voice contained a tinge of anger.  
"This is overkill. It's ludicrous." Clark slammed his fists on the table as he said that.  
"It is not ludicrous!" And Batman started to lose his cool. "It is necessary. We are talking about a super-powered you. Not only is it necessary, it is essential. This is one of the few threats we get to prepare for, and I will not take any chances. They are needed. They stay. We need them!" Bruce was on his feet, his eyes glaring and his fist on the table. He never showed this emotion: fear. He was never this scared. He sat back down and controlled himself, but the effect was made. At last, even the greatest detective showed he can be afraid.  
"Why are you so afraid?" asked Clark, not willing to believe that Bruce, the man that never feared, was afraid. If he was afraid, then... God help them all. Please Bruce, thought Clark, please say you're not afraid. Please say you just overreacted.  
"You don't get it, Clark," said Batman, "you rarely do when it comes to you. If I was to combine my desire for improvement with Diana's years of experience and training and your powers, only then will we match his powers. He has been training to become the greatest he can be. That's what I've done. Diana trained as much as possible to ensure peace. We are fighters, Clark. We train to fight. You, you trained to be normal. To control your powers, never seeking to learn their full potential. Never seeking to understand everything you can about them. Why would your brain not be enhanced by the solar radiation? Why is telekinesis not a part of your arsenal?"  
"I can't control what gifts I get, Bruce."  
"You did, Clark, in a way," said Diana, "you didn't allow them to grow. You didn't allow them to reach their full potential. You never truly wanted to test them. That's why this plan is necessary. I agree with Bruce: this is more than necessary. You could've taken on almost every threat on your own, if you were inclined to train."  
"But I don't want to risk becoming that a threat," said Clark, almost ashamed of the idea that he could be that powerful.  
"I know, Clark, it's why I love you. It's what makes you who you are. But you cannot shy away from your gifts. You must accept that you are more powerful than you can imagine. And that this person has dared to imagine."  
"What's your real issue with this, Clark?" asked Bruce.  
"If we attack Emmet, kick him off the planet, then that means that I failed. It means that I can become that. And that if I do there is no turning back."  
"He's not you-"  
"HE IS ME!" The room rattled with that shout of anger and despair. They sat in silence. Superman was standing up, fists clenched tight and leaning on the table, his head bowed. It almost looked like he was trying to push the table down.  
"You are not him Clark," said Diana, touching his arm.  
"But I am. One of us is a perfect clone. We have been given the same opportunities. He told me that. He started out like me, and he went bad. If he can, then maybe I will too. And maybe then I can't be saved. Not from myself."  
"Clark," said Bruce, "you're partially right. He is more you than a doppelgänger is. He did not, however, start like you. He tried to test his powers to the fullest from the beginning, encouraged to become as powerful as he could be. You were encouraged to be normal, to make your own decisions. You didn't look for power. You were only interested in justice and equality. It's why you didn't test out your strength. It's why you will not become him."  
"And if you do," said Diana, "I will bring you back."  
He looked at her, and her smile that was so hopeful, so loving. She was sincere, she loved him and she was going to save him from everything. He was the man she loved.  
"In any case," said Superman, "I want one last conversation with him. Have this plan ready if you must, but I want one more conversation with him. IF he repents, if he says something that makes me believe that he is sincere in trying a new way, then you delay this plan."  
"And if he doesn't?" asked Wonder Woman.  
"Then we go ahead with your plan."  
"No," said Batman, "it's too dangerous. You trust people too much-"  
"And you don't trust them enough. I know what he did was wrong, and I see his actions as a declaration of his intentions. But, if he sincerely wants to try a new way, I will defend his right to a second chance."  
"He already had a second chance," said Batman.  
"This is not a request, Bruce." Superman and Batman stared at each other, and the tension was palpable.  
"Fine. But don't blame me when this goes to hell," said Batman and walked away towards the Fortress' teleportation room.  
"If that happens, I won't." Clark sat back down. Diana leaned over and touched his hand, there was comfort in that touch. A loving and supporting touch. Superman knew that, whatever happened, he had her on his side.


	17. Chapter 17: Dreams and Reflections

Chapter Seventeen: Dreams and Reflections

At night, Emmet slept, and dreamed of his childhood.  
They were not farmers.  
They were not scientists.  
They were not businessmen.  
They were not politicians.  
They were shopkeepers, leading a simple life.  
When a rocket crashed on their Earth, they were the first ones there. They were out having a romantic evening. A dinner that was cooked by the man and eaten by both. The man, Olgard, with his wife, Felia. There, love is simple. There, love is understood.  
During this very romantic evening, a star was falling. It was falling down, down, and still further down. What started out as a source for a wish soon became a source for panic. It was coming closer and closer, it was heading towards them!  
Not a word was spoken, they were futile. Olgard grabbed his wife and they ran. They ran as far as they could. The star crashed not two hundred meters away. The crater was huge. Stopping in their flight, curiosity took over. They turned around and walked towards it. Inside was a craft unlike any they had seen before. Fearfully, they opened the hatch. The design was advanced, but it had similarities to their own world's designs. A wash of air flowed out of the small compartment. The dust settled around the rocket. They saw the beautifully crafted spaceship. It was silver in colour, with the wings of the ship coloured red. On the front of the ship was a symbol, an emblem. Felia thought it was Kryptonian, but Olgard was not quite sure. They looked at the vehicle and its occupant: an infant. About two years old. He was so small. The moonlight shone upon the babe in transcendent light, as if the gods were giving the two a sign of great things to come.  
Taking the baby, they ran away. Away from the site, away from their picnic. It was twenty days before anyone reported that the ship has been taken.

"Emmet," said Olgard, "that will be his name."  
"It is a good name," said Felia, "but how can we raise him?"  
They already had three kids. The economy was not strong enough to support more kids, and even if they applied for adopting a stray boy, that rarely meant that they would be able to keep it, especially with their youngest son, Garlin, in need of medication.  
They filed for adopting a stray, saying that they found him in the bad parts of town. Hoping this would be sufficient. They gave him the name and hoped for the best. It wasn't answered well. The government could not afford to help them. The war effort was such a taxing problem, and it wasn't even a war they could gain much from, thought Olgard.  
He returned home from the office, the streets were desolate, the world seemed that much bleaker. He had been allowed to legally adopt the child, but no benefits would be given to him. There was no way he could manage to keep his family going with another mouth to feed. But what could he do? He couldn't turn the boy away, how could he?  
He was outside his apartment building now. The house was an old building with bricks of different colours, built when the population was getting too big and there was no time to invest in colouring buildings. Then the war came and colouring a bunch of buildings became inconsequential. He walked up the wooden stairs, each step echoing along the hallways. Each step harder than the previous. How could he tell Felia? How?  
Something broke, and a child was crying. It was from his apartment. He ran over to the door and quickly unlocked it. The sight was terrifying. Emmet, standing up, was holding above his head a table. The dinning table. Above his head. The whole table. The scene wouldn't compute in Olgard's head. His other children were staring at the child, their new brother, and they were stunned. How could the child be able to do that? Who was this person?

It has been three months since they first discovered Emmet's powers. His two eldest children were by now far away, working factories in order to try and live. Child labour in such a technologically advanced nation, but they were both over sixteen, it was time. Meanwhile, Garlin was getting worse, and the shop was not able to bring enough food for the family. The amount of money they earned was getting smaller and smaller. They didn't even have enough medicine.  
"Ask for another loan, they will give it to you!" yelled Felia. She was right, they would give him the loan, so that they may collect the debts when the war was over. Olgard went to the bank, then he entered. Once inside, he waited for three hours, then left. He knew what must be done, he knew what he had to do. Garlin was not worthy, he was weak, he couldn't be afforded. Garlin's fate was sealed. There was no other way.

Endless days went by of Emmet being forced to train, to study like his life depended on it. But Emmet had a purpose: he will find a way to help Garlin, he will help him. He will find a cure for his illness. He will become the greatest person in the world and find the cures.  
As his education continued in his schools, so did his powers. Every night, after hours of studying at super-speed, he would be driven to abandoned factories and fields by his dad. His dad who constantly instructed him, who constantly made sure Emmet knew how important he was, and how that came with an obligation to his planet. He had to fix it. Emmet would train his powers through the night. Training to master his abilities, but also to expand them, to test their limits. The sun would provide him with the energy he lost through the difficult hours of the night.

Twenty years after his arrival, Emmet graduates from his university. His studies had been fundamental to his abilities. Learning physics, chemistry, biology and so many other subjects allowed him to be ready. His father would be proud. He was ready to become the hero he'd wanted to be for so long. He had trained to be this hero for so long. He'd created the suit, and he'd attached the cape himself, creating it from different materials for its different functions. His training, which had started when he was four years old, concluded in the undeniable fact that he had no limit to his powers. At the time he thought his drive came from Garlin. First to save him, and after Garlin had died Emmet thought he did it in his honour. Emmet didn't know why Garlin died, why the bank refused the second loan, but it was something he would try and uncover when the time was right, when people knew who he was. But even then, Emmet already knew, deep in his heart that Garlin was a failure, a burden. Those with incurable diseases should be used for study only, kept alive only if science needed them. Society had no place for people that could not, or would not contribute.

He saved people. He saved so many, but he knew it was not enough. He had to do more. Saving people from burning buildings was inconsequential when every day news of the war his country was fighting and the dead that were massed came in. He didn't want to be affiliated with any country. But he had to stop wars. They were the climax of evil, the greatest deterrent to progress and unity. They had to be stopped. Somehow. Enough was enough.  
His life was lived surrounded by tales of wars going on in some part of the world or another, many times he dreamed of intervening, many times his father forbade it. Now he was in charge. Now, it was time to stop these things. The world knew who he was, now it was time for the world to know what it should be.  
A battle was underway in a small provincial town in the middle of a nation that had been in constant war for three years. The tanks were already leaving, the soldiers were going in. Emmet arrived to see the horrors: kids being shot at point blank, firing squads assembled to shoot the men. Women's screams of horror and pain as men dragged them into abandoned houses, shooting them when they are done.  
Infuriated, Emmet obliterated the attacking forces. Killed them all. Destroyed them. He had to take control. He had to do what was right. His people could no longer be trusted.

Killing was necessary. An evil person will have no chance of doing another evil if he were dead. The chance that a criminal would repent was inconsequential. You did not kill the innocent, you do not hurt those that have not harmed.  
The people that did not contribute to their society were worthless. Completely worthless, and therefore expendable.  
Emmet saw his world, the world he led with all its glory. He knew he created a true utopia, a world where everyone did their part, and where they all knew the true meaning of the rule of law.

Emmet woke up. He looked around and remembered where he was. He had been dreaming of his past very much recently, but it was not a problem weighing on his conscience, it was a way to reflect, to understand what was happening. A few years ago Emmet gained full control of his dreams and could guide them as he pleased by controlling his unconscious completely.  
He had to do the for this planet what he did for his, these wars must be stopped. Atrocities must be ended. Evil must be uprooted by any means necessary.  
He walked into the living room of his small and simple apartment, his host was in the usual seat, watching TV.  
"Do you have any siblings?" asked the host, he was still staring at the television, but he never seemed to pay much attention to it.  
"I had three siblings. All older. The eldest two died of poisoning from the air in the factories they worked in, it was a time of war and home front health was not deemed important, amongst other things."  
"And the other one?"  
"My father... He died because of my father."  
"How?"  
"He was very sick, and my father decided that it was a lost cause trying to save him, so he let him die. He did, in a way, a similar thing with my older siblings. He chose to invest in me rather than to invest in them."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Do not be. What he did is perhaps unforgivable, but it was necessary. He did not have sufficient income to save us all, and he picked me because I was the better of them all. I sentenced him to death for his crimes, but I told him I understood. Everyone is equal before the law, but not everyone is equal. Some are more important than others. Some are just a liability, a tax on the resources of the many. They can be dispensed with, if necessary."  
"So what are we to you?"  
"A lost planet. A planet filled with contradictions and ideals that will not yield and cannot stand. Ideals that work for the betterment of the human spirit while they destroy the human condition. A planet that needs saving."  
"So what're you going to do now?"  
"I'm going to show your biggest champion what needs to be done."  
And with that, Emmet left the apartment, he rushed over to the lower stratosphere, and looked at all that was going on. He heard the cries of joy, of happiness. But those were blocked out from his mind as soon as they were registered, he did not care for them, barely even noticed them. He did not pay any attention to the wife whose husband just came back from a trip, his family welcoming him home, or the poverty-stricken kid who finally got the scholarship he needed to attend university. Not the whispers of love that the couples were telling one another. All of this may as well not have existed in his eyes. All he heard were the cries of women being abused, kids being beaten. He heard the rolling of tanks and gunshots. He heard the cursing and the yelling. He heard it all. And not one single tear was shed from his tightly closed eyes. He opened them and a red as dark as Hell's replaced his blue eyes. His anger swelled and evolved to something greater, something worse.  
He flew towards Syria. He saw the devastation within its borders. ISIS. They were destroying cities, hurting women, children. Killing everyone. It stopped now.


	18. Chapter 18: Declaration of War

Chapter Eighteen: Declaration of War

"Clark, we've got Emmet's trajectory," said Batman over the comms.  
"Don't worry, I see him," said Superman as he flew over towards Emmet.  
Emmet was flying at incredible speeds, but Superman anticipated where he would go and was waiting there. From the upper stratosphere above Saudi Arabia, Superman flew down towards Emmet, obstructing his path. Emmet made a quick stop and wind rushed and made their capes billow.  
Silence. The kind of sinister and expectant silence that seeps into the bones.  
"Move, Clark, it is time I fulfilled my purpose."  
"So you did let that guy die," Superman sounded angry, but also downcast, he had really hoped that this was not the case.  
"It is time you understood a simple fact: evil must be eradicated. Useless people are not to be tolerated. You have let this plant fall into a pitiable state. It is good that I have come to correct this horrendous mistake of yours."  
"You're a murderer and a tyrant. But I don't want you gone, I want you-"  
"To change," Emmet posture, his crossed arms, did not move but a smirk was eerily present on his face. "You will not change me, Superman, for you cannot change truth and justice. I will teach them to you."  
"No, you won't. You will leave Earth and never return."  
"Are threatening me, brother?"  
"You are not my brother!" Superman was shaking, his clenched fists vibrating.  
"You are a but a little child compared to me. You will, one day, see the error of your ways. But until that time I have no choice but to remove you from my path."  
"Go, Emmet, this doesn't have to be a fight."  
"No, Superman, it always ends in a fight."  
Superman flew at Emmet and punched him in the face, but Emmet didn't move. The shockwaves were felt all the way down on the ground, but Emmet's face did not budge. Superman remained there with his fist in Emmet's face, shocked, unable to move.  
"Oh, Superman," said Emmet, lowering his arms, "you should know better than to challenge me." Emmet punched Superman and sent him flying up, into space.

"Breaking news! Reports are coming in that the Second Superman, also known as Emmet, has been spotted in Iraq. Reports state that he is attacking ISIS troops that were in the midst of yet another blood-filled conquest. Reporter John Cann is there filming it live, and it should be noted that the following images are not suitable for all ages. It is about time that someone took action against these monsters."  
Superman didn't hear that, all he heard was the swishing sound of the wind as he flew towards Syria on Emmet's trail. All he heard was his beating heart, which had accepted the fact that will have to beat his, in a way, twin brother. His much more powerful twin brother.  
It was a three second journey. But for Superman it was too quick. A part of him almost didn't want to arrive, didn't want to have to confront this super-powered being. A part of him still wished Emmet had decided to change.  
He reached the attacked area, and saw mayhem. Emmet was brutally killing people left and right. Killing all the ISIS soldiers he saw, not caring, it seemed, about the civilians in the crossfire. Superman had to make a choice: stop Emmet and let the battle continue, or help Emmet eradicate ISIS. But he picked a third option.  
He flew in as fast as he could and punched Emmet, sending a shockwave that levelled a few empty buildings and sent Emmet flying. He then quickly evacuated all of the civilians. All this took only four seconds. All that was left were the ISIS soldiers, some cowering in fear, some hurt. Some still firing at him. His eyes blazed red and angry. He used his super speed and heat vision to disarm the remaining soldiers. Having the ISIS soldiers tied up and medically treating the civilians, he left hearing the approaching Iraqi army.  
"Do you have him?" asked Superman, Batman was on the other side of that line.  
"No. I lost him."  
"He'll show up again. And soon. Get everybody ready."  
"Already done."

Superman flew back to Metropolis and saw a building with a gaping hole in it in the middle of town.  
Lexcorp.  
It was almost a perfect bet that Emmet was linked to him. It was somehow always the case.  
Superman rushed over there and found Lex on the ground. Barely alive. Not even thinking, he took Luthor to the hospital. The doctors received him and the took him into a private room. Instead of going back to the building, Superman stayed. If Emmet was behind this, then Luthor will have an idea of what Emmet is up to and where he can be found.  
"Superman, where is Emmet?" asked Batman, but he was not on the comms, he was there in the hospital. Superman barely noticed his heartbeat amidst the great amount of heartbeats around him. Batman emerged as if he were a part of the shadows themselves. Diana was right to compare him to Hades.  
"He was gone by the time I got there, but I bet that Luthor knows where he is, or a clue to his location," said Superman.  
"Then let's go visit him," said Batman, and a sly grin came across his face.  
Lex Luthor was conscious, but badly injured. It was odd that he was even alive, thought Batman, why would Emmet allow a homeless man to be killed, but spare Lex Luthor?  
"So, Luthor, where is he?" asked Superman, his arms were folded, slightly obscuring the view of his shield. Batman was standing beside him, head slightly bent, arms hidden inside his cloak, it made him look like a wraith, a shadow of a fiend.  
"What are you talking about, Boy Scout?" asked Luthor, sounding like a man in control but his heart skipped. He was lying.  
"I don't have time for this," said Batman, and walked over to Luthor, the two staff members that were in the room stood back in panic. They were witnessing a battle of gods. And everyone knew not to interfere with Batman. Especially when Superman wasn't. There was slight shifting in the bed and Batman grabbed Luthor's hand and bent it. "I won't ask again: where is Emmet?"  
"You think I won't tell you? He's waiting for you," said Luthor, looking at Superman.  
"What were you doing with him?" asked Superman.  
"He said that he knew of the shielding device I was developing. Asked where it was."  
"And you gave it to him," said Batman, releasing Luthor's hand.  
"Maybe, and maybe not. I didn't work with him."  
"Of course you did, Luthor," said Batman.  
"Prove it. Anyway," said Luthor while looking at Superman, "he wants you to go to the Himalayas. It's why he attacked me. Probably knew I'd be hoping for a chance to send you to your death," said Luther.  
"Hmm. This isn't over, Luthor. Not even close," said Batman as he walked out of the room with Superman following close behind.  
"Bye bye, Batman. And best of luck to you, Superman. May the best Kal win."  
The two heroes left the ward and went over to Batman's Bat-Plane which was parked in a small alley.  
"I'll head there now," said Superman. His palms were starting to sweat. He was nervous, and he couldn't hide it. He was dreading this.  
"Superman, you have the world's greatest fighters at your back. He will be beaten. Don't worry about that." Somehow, having Batman say that made Superman feel a bit more secure. As much as Batman never seemed to use it, he could inspire hope and belief whenever he felt like it. It was why they were such close friends.  
"I'll head there now, I'm sure J'onn will be there soon as well."  
"As will the rest of the team," said Batman and jumped into his cockpit. Superman took off and flew over to the Himalayas. He knew exactly where: the place where they'd defeated Helspont. There's was always a deformed sentimental reasoning his villains had for picking the spots they did for fighting him. It was true for most villains, it's why Batman was such a great tactician: he never let sentiment in when it came to tactical decisions.


	19. Chapter 19: Earth vs Emmet

Chapter Nineteen: Earth vs Emmet

He reached the spot, and Emmet was standing there, arms by his side. His cape was flapping in the deafening wind. The white mountain tops were an eerie backdrop. Superman felt like he could still smell Helspont's blood on the snow. Maybe he could. Emmet's gaze was steady, menacing. But not aggressive. He was menacing without looking like he'd act on it. Superman was still hovering above, sweeping the area with his super vision. Looking through objects and into them. Making sure no traps were laid. Emmet didn't speak, as if he was allowing Superman his peace of mind.  
"Superman, I am in position. The rest of the team is as well. I have masked their psychic presence, he will not know they are here," said J'onn in his mind, his presence was a delicate one, like he was feeling guilty to be inside his head, so he was there in as small an amount as possible. Superman didn't reply, no need to give Emmet a chance to notice the communication.  
"Well, brother-"  
"Don't call me that, Emmet. I' not your brother."  
"Brother. Clone. Replica. It does not matter."  
"So am I... a copy of you?"  
"Maybe. Maybe not. But I can tell it is, as your expression goes, killing you."  
Superman's fists clenched, and he landed on the ground. Shaking the very mountain and sending a barrage of snow in all directions. He stared at Emmet, who was standing there too calmly.  
"Why did you go to Luthor?" asked Superman, hoping to get at least an answer before he fights, hoping to delay the clash a bit longer. Hoping in spite of everything that had happened that Emmet will decide to change.  
"He invited me to this Earth. He wanted dominion over it. I used him to get here, but then he got what he deserved, and sent me you."  
"This ends now!"  
"It does not have to, Kal-El. We could do great things together. Think of it, we could abolish evil. Make it a rumour, a myth. We can make it stop existing."  
"Maybe we could stop others from committing atrocities, but your world view and its enforcement is in itself an evil. And I will not allow you to do that. You will not destroy this Earth, and you will not corrupt this symbol!" And with that he flew at Emmet and landed a punch right on Emmet's chest. Emmet went flying into the side of the mountains and then through it, landing on the other side, caked with snow.  
"You have one chance, Emmet: leave this planet now, and never return." Superman was floating a few paces away from Emmet, who casually got up, as if nothing had been done to him.  
Then Emmet flew at Superman and gave him a cross right to his jaw, the power was destructive and sent Superman off his floating feet and falling to the ground.  
"Ahh!" Came Emmet's yell, as he held on to his head. J'onn was starting his attack. And here he came, the green might of Mars, he slammed an enlarged fist into Emmet and it sent him into the mountain.  
"You thought this could stop me, Superman? How naive," and then he got up, and a great yell of pain issued from J'onn. Superman got up and flew to punch Emmet, but Emmet expected it, and slammed him in a judo flip into the ground. Lifting him up again, he kicked Superman sending him into a mountain's side. Then he flew and grabbed J'onn and used his heat vision on him. The agony that issued forth was terrible. It was so intense it was going to kill him in a few moments.  
But luckily for J'onn Wonder Woman was there. She flew in and with one punch sent Emmet flying, sending him deep into a valley in the mountain range. But J'onn was on death's door. It was so much heat, the rocks of the mountain itself melted. It was far more intense than Superman ever used. Superman was fast on Emmet's trail, and so was Wonder Woman.  
As Emmet fell down, Aquaman was there, trident ready and standing tall. He leaped at Emmet, trident raised to smack him into the ground. As Aquaman reached Emmet, the trident was caught by the opponent's hand, and with a turn Emmet sent Aquaman into the valley instead, Emmet holding the legendary trident. But he did not miss Wonder Woman coming in from behind, swinging her sword at him, he deflected it with his hand, the blade made a slight cut on his hand.  
"Ah, magic. We do not have such things on my world, but I am well equipped to fight this," said Emmet as he deflected all of Wonder Woman's attacks, gaining no more scratches. Then he saw an opening, but was unable to use it as Aquaman leaped at him, and punched him in the mouth, sending him to the ground. Superman was ready, he used his heat vision from point blank range once Emmet reached the ground. It sent Emmet into the side of the nearest mountain. He didn't let up for a moment. Then, silence. Aquaman took his trident that was left by Emmet on the floor and superman stopped using heat vision.  
"Magic." Came the voice from, it seemed, everywhere, "brute strength. Technique. All good tactics, but not good enough."  
Boom!  
Aquaman was on the ground, prone. A quick look told Superman everything: Aquaman was with three broken ribs, a broken arm and a shattered femur, he was barely conscious. A blast of heat vision hit Aquaman before Superman punched Emmet off him. Wonder Woman kept the fight up with her sword, slashing almost frantically at the unyielding enemy. That's two heroes down. Superman flew in and punched Emmet in the jaw, sending a tooth out, Wonder Woman kicked his stomach and was about to strike with her sword, but Emmet caught her wrist and used her as a bat to hit Superman, sending him flying away. Emmet then punched Wonder Woman as hard and as fast as he could. Not letting up for five seconds.  
It is said that the Flash is so fast he can punch a person a thousand times in one second. Emmet could do that as well. And he did it for five seconds, carving a cave into the crumbling mountain as he pushed Wonder Woman in further and further into the side of the mountain with every punch. When Superman returned to the small valley between the great mountains, he returned with Shazam, Green Lantern and the Flash. The boulders were piling up, almost covering the entire valley with flooding. Emmet came out, holding Wonder Woman, she was thoroughly beaten. Her body was broken, almost completely. She was barely breathing. Emmet was holding her by her head, almost crushing her skull.  
They were all pissed off. This was too far. Three of their friends will be fighting for their lives. Emmet tossed her body aside.  
"SHAZAM!" It was a yell that has never been heard before, so intense, so powerful. They had all had enough. A lightning bolt with the thickness of a stone pillar struck Emmet, which made him slightly wobbly. Then a huge green comet came down on Emmet, with all its force, it took something out of him. The Flash ran there and ran circles around Emmet, punching him from every direction.  
"Flash, move!" said Clark, but Clark didn't he also said it telepathically to the Flash. The Flash moved and a sonic boom was heard as Superman flew at Emmet and landed a crunching uppercut, which sent him clear through three mountains and landed him somewhere inside the fourth. The mountains were shattering around them. They were going to finish this guy, once and for all. They all went after him.  
Shazam reached him first, as Emmet was emerging from the hole he was in.  
"SHAZAM!" Another bolt hit him, but Shazam made a mistake: he then went to punch him, and Emmet caught him by the neck and punched him, sending him aside. A plane then came down, a green plane raining down missiles as Superman's heat vision hit him with a blaring furnace. The Flash ran and tossed a bolt of lightning that he was able to create from the electricity around him.  
"Shazam!"  
And with the bolt of lightning from the sky, they stopped. The smoke cleared away and they saw Emmet. He was standing, he took it all, encasing himself with an energy field: a telekinetic force field.  
"Aaarghhh!" yelled Shazam, as he fell to the ground, holding his head. "Shazam!" And with that Billy Batson was there, falling face first into the ground. Mind-controlling telepathy, a power Superman suspected he could have, Emmet said he did have. But Superman never believed him. Not until now.  
Next, GL was screaming, wrestling in pain as he fell to the ground. The Flash went to catch him while Superman flew in to beat Emmet. He was going to hit him as hard as he could. Even if it was the last thing he did.  
A loud thud behind him told Superman that something went wrong, but he didn't dare to look away from Emmet as he landed his second cross on Emmet's face as the entire mountain range shook. Suddenly Emmet moved aside and something flew into Superman's back. It was the Flash and Green Lantern, both unconscious, both limp.  
"How..." Began Superman, as he sat on his knees in front of the two heroes.  
"Simple: Green Lantern was taken out and a bit of difficult telekinesis made sure that the energy that the Flash expels hit him. These are all things your body can do. The radiation in your cells has the ability to connect to other energies around it. The more you practice, the better you will be able to control the small energy sources, like a brain. A thorough study of brain biology will then be able to tell you how to make a brain do as you please. Now, do you see that your attack is futile? I am too strong for all of you."  
"We aren't done yet," said Superman, getting to his feet.  
"Still, you fight. You do not have the capacity to beat me, Superman, and you never will. I am sorry, but this will be your defeat. It was always going to be your defeat."  
"Never!" boomed Superman, as he flew at Emmet to land a punch, but Emmet dodged and hit Superman in the stomach. The spit that left Superman's mouth didn't even reach the floor before Superman had a fist in his cheek, sending him to the ground, skidding away.  
Emmet flew up a bit, his whole body glowing red. A sonic blast hit Emmet from the back, sending him flying, but Emmet quickly stabilised his flight and looked at Cyborg. The last three combatants were getting up, as well as everyone else.  
"Shazam!"  
Batman was there, he had a large gun in hand. Wonder Woman got up and looked eager to fight. J'onn was hovering nearby as well, ready to begin again. His eyes as red as Emmet's.  
"I see that your healing capabilities are as remarkable as Luthor suspected. I am impressed. Ah, psychic blocks. I assume that is your handiwork, Batman? It will not do you any good."  
"It's over, you're outgunned, outnumbered and surrounded. Leave now, and never come back," said Batman, his voice confident and menacing. That was the voice that could break some of the toughest people on the planet.  
"Surrounded, true. Outnumbered, true. But outgunned? No, Batman, that I am not. Superman, take note: I shall dismantle all of these useless people with the powers that you have, not the ones you do not know that you have. I shall show you just how powerful you could have been."  
And he flew at Green Lantern, it was too fast for anyone to properly react, but they were all converging on Emmet.  
Emmet had his hand on Green Lantern's throat and was punching a green shield that protected Hal's face. The shield was starting to break. Superman quickly grabbed Emmet by the neck and flipped him off of GL, sending him to Aquaman who tried to stab Emmet, but the trident, while it didn't break, didn't pierce the skin, luckily that wasn't necessary, as Shazam sent a lightning bolt through the trident that struck Emmet. A lasso found its way tightening around Emmet and in one swift motion he was flung full circle head first into the ground. Without even a millisecond of respite, the Flash landed as many punches as he could within a second and moved out of the way just in time so that GL's train could slam into him. This left Emmet encased in rocks near the side of a mountain. Heat vision, exploding batarangs, lightning and noise blasters all hit Emmet then. For a very long while.  
Emmet was on his knees, blood coming out of his nose, but he was smiling. This was not even close to over, and Superman saw it a moment too late. He flew at Superman and charged him to the ground, while Superman kneed him in the stomach. Aquaman and Wonder Woman came towards him from both sides, Emmet was well aware of that, he flew a meter up at the last second, allowing the sword and trident to pass through air. Using speed and their momentum he grabbed their heads and smacked them together and tossed them in front of the armoured car that Green Lantern conjured to hit Emmet from behind. Emmet was flying up now, grappling with a shape shifting Martian Manhunter, as the Flash was racing up the side of a mountain. The Martian managed to keep away from Emmet's heat vision, slamming enlarged fists into Emmet as his body coiled around Emmet like a snake, but this only lasted so long, as finally Emmet's heat vision found its mark, and it didn't let up. J'onn fell to the ground and GL caught him by conjuring a bed while the Flash leaped and punched Emmet, but the Flash made a mistake: he was helpless in the air and his momentum didn't carry him fast enough. Emmet caught the Flash in the air and flung him at Wonder Woman, who was coming up towards him. Cyborg blasted Emmet with his noise cannons and while Emmet seemed distracted Superman delivered blow after blow. The concussion from each blow turned the mountain top on which they now stood into a valley. Snow was falling all around them and rocks were tumbling down. Emmet was being pushed down along with them as Superman grabbed him, flew up with Emmet's neck in his hand and then flew down to the ground with Emmet's head at the front. But at the last second Emmet reversed positions with Superman, so that Superman was the one who crashed into the ground. Aquaman was there to charge, and he did so with Shazam.  
But something was different. Emmet seemed to be angrier. His eyes blazing red. It seemed like enough was enough for him. No remorse. No mercy.  
Superman had had enough too. No more chances, this had to end as soon as possible. Before Aquaman and Shazam could reach them, Superman jumped Emmet and grabbed him by the neck, then holding on to him in a headlock he dropped them both hard into the ground.  
"Batman! Now!" The message was clear, and though Batman didn't hesitate, his mind was reeling. Was there a better solution? They needed to end this quickly. Needed to end this now. It was not going their way. Batman pulled out the gun that was hanging from his side. The Kryptonite blaster. It was capable of taking down Superman within five seconds. It was as lethal as could be made. And he fired the one capsule he had at his best friend. The capsule exploded and a great amount of green smoke filled the area. It was thickest on point of impact. Superman was probably already close to death, but the Flash was fast. He ran and grabbed Superman and ran up the mountain, leaving him there to regain his strength. With the sun high up in this area, it should hopefully not be too long. He ran back down, Green Lantern created a dome so that no air would leave, especially with the vacuum that the Flash leaves while running.  
He came back and the smoke was dissipating. At the centre, Emmet was on his hands and knees, bleeding from his mouth. The Flash used his momentum and accelerated, punching as hard as he could. He punched Emmet across the face. Sending another tooth flying. Then Green Lantern hit him with a giant green sledge hammer. Batman sent an array of batarangs that exploded. Then Shazam, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Martian Manhunter, Flash and GL stood around him and punched him and kicked him, sending him from one to the other, never giving him a moment of respite. It was over.  
But it wasn't.  
As Wonder Woman was about to deliver what she hoped would be the deciding blow, her fist was caught by the hand of Emmet. It was strong, and in a millisecond he crushed her hand. She cried in pain as he flung her head-first into the dirt, Aquaman then came at him, along with Shazam. A blast of heat vision on Aquaman kept him at bay as he blocked Shazam's electric punch and uppercutted him into the sky, the end of the movement saw Emmet's exposed ribs, which were then punched by J'onn, the punch was perfect. Emmet grabbed J'onn's hand and used it to pull him in. Then he head-butted J'onn, but J'onn changed his density, the problem was that Emmet was expecting this. He used heat vision in the middle of J'onn's body, as the Martian returned to normal density, Emmet's head was inside his belly, blowing heat vision into J'onn's body. Then he pulled out. J'onn was lying on the floor, and no one knew how he'd ever recover from such a blast. His stomach was ripped wide open, his insides almost flowing out into the dirt.  
Shazam flew down and smacked Emmet into the ground. He kept punching Emmet further and further into the ground. Then he tossed him up for Aquaman to hit, but Aquaman once again got the short end of the stick. Emmet absorbed his punch and gave one of his own, fracturing Aquaman's skull in a few places, then throwing him to the ground head first. Wonder Woman came at him again, along with Shazam. Green Lantern, the Flash and Cyborg were trying to get the two wounded members away from the fray, but the cacophony was making it difficult. Batman was waiting. Praying the smoke will clear enough soon.  
Shazam's arm was grabbed and then he was used as a club to hit Wonder Woman, in a moment of desperation, Shazam made his call, and while it did hurt Emmet, it turned Shazam to Billy. And before Billy could say the word again. He was knocked unconscious, and flung towards Batman, who caught him. Barely. Wonder Woman flew back into the fight, with Green Lantern in tow. But neither managed to land a hit. Then Emmet flew over to Wonder Woman and hit her head with a kick. The skull shook but didn't break. But the two other hits might have done that instead. And then breaking both her arms and a few more ribs before his final punch to her head. She fell to the ground. All this before GL's green metal robot arm could reach him. When it did it sent him into a mountain.  
Then it all went silent.  
The Flash was constantly moving trying to see where the attack would come from next.  
No one thought to look down.  
A hand grabbed Flash's leg and yanked him under ground. GL formed a great shovel to try and remove the ground and help the Flash. The ground shifted more and more, and it was unclear as to who was shifting it. Then the Flash erupted from the ground and was sent flying. A few bones protruding from his skin.  
Green Lantern lost it. That was the last straw. He created a great hammer and started hitting the ground. Pounding as hard as he could, the Earth trembled with every hit. Cyborg was looking around in case Emmet was playing a trick on them. Batman was looking around as well, but also glancing at his timer. Two minutes and the Kryptonite will clear. It will be a bit longer before Clark is back on his feet, but he could send the other two members of his family in two minutes. If they lasted that long.  
Bam!  
The speed at which it happened overwhelmed everyone there. If GL hadn't had something protecting him, it would not have been unimaginable that his head would have flown off. No one saw where Emmet came from, but the hit dislocated Hal's jaw and he fell limp to the ground. He wasn't dead. Sonic blasts erupted from Cyborg, as well as every other weapon at his disposal. But it didn't stop Emmet, he flew at Cyborg and ripped his arm off, then proceeded to crush the metal part of Cyborg's face.  
That was too much.  
System compromised and shut down.  
Cyborg was down.  
That left Batman. He was all alone. And then he felt something that he promised he'd never feel again. Something he cannot allow himself to feel. Batman was afraid. And he felt powerless.  
"Kryptonite. That was a good call. Would have worked on Superman. But you forget that I meditated in the sun. My cells are much tougher than Superman's. You do not have the concentrations to even start to affect me on this planet."  
"I don't need the Kryptonite."  
"But you do, Batman, you do. I have heard the question of who would win in a fight between you and Superman asked quite often. The truth is, the only reason you could win is if Superman allows it. He could be just as intolerant to Kryptonite as I myself am. And I know you are waiting for the smoke to clear so you can call your reinforcements. It is clever. I only need half a nanosecond to kill you. Less, even." Emmet flew at Batman and grabbed him by the throat with one hand. The movement was so fast, Batman didn't even see it happening. Emmet was choking him and pushing him to the ground. Emmet's face was just a few inches away from Batman's.  
"I want you to remember this, Batman. This moment. All your plans and preparations. All your super-powered friends. All your gadgets. You will always be weaker than me. You will never be able to win a fight against me. I want you to remember, Bruce, in your deepest, darkest moments, this hand at your throat, I want you to remember who beat you. And who can beat you, if he chose to. You are nothing but a scared and flawed man in comparison."  
Batman's vision started to blur, he was slipping, about to pass out. A gust of wind blew past him and the hand on his neck was gone. Supergirl was hovering in front of him. There were exchanges of blows. The whole mountain range in the area has been destroyed and the shockwaves from the punches didn't help. He looked and saw Supergirl punching Emmet.  
Batman's vision blurred further as Emmet punched her.  
Black.  
Emmet holding her by the throat and heat vision fighting heat vision.  
Black.  
Supergirl under Emmet's heel, head about to be crushed.  
Black.  
A hole in the ground where Emmet was. Supergirl shaking, barely able to sit up. The hole was being covered up from inside.

Superboy wasn't going to wait any longer. The Kryptonite was still lingering in the air, but Supergirl went anyway. Probably good thing she did. Superboy was taking care of something else. He was taking care of Superman. Superboy had left him in space, sure. Probably not the safest idea. But at least that way he could get some sun. Hopefully recover. He flew down after staying with Superman as long as he could.  
When Superboy came down he saw the situation was dire. The Justice League was totally destroyed. All but dead. Supergirl needed him. She was completely at the mercy of Emmet. He rushed and was there just in time to punch Emmet as hard as he could. Emmet was sent into the ground, and Superboy had an idea. Using all of his power he punched Emmet into the ground. Using telekinesis, Emmet was the victim of blows from all directions. Rocks flying into him in the belly of the Earth. Superboy pushed Emmet further and further into the Earth. They slowly went further down. Down to where there was no more light, the only sense that functioned there was touch. And Superboy had that in abundance using telekinesis. Hurling rocks into Emmet one after another seemed to work, he was not being hit himself and so far Emmet hadn't counterattacked.  
A minute later, and they were in a sea. Superboy didn't know what sea it was, but it was a vast body of water. Light still didn't penetrate this far down but he felt the water all around him. And then he saw it. The red figure of Emmet. Superboy went to punch him. But Emmet closed a hand over his fist. He then dragged him up and out of the water. They were next to some islands, but that's all Superboy could tell. He didn't care, he was focusing on the opponent. Emmet didn't move, his whole body was glowing in red.  
Emmet smirked and punched Superboy in the face. Again and again and again. With each punch Superboy's face was transforming, becoming less and less recognisable. Then Emmet lifted the body of Superboy up and brought it down, back first, on his knee. The back broke. The deafening crunch of broken bones was undeniable. Tossing him far away towards a small uninhabited island, Emmet looked to the sky, and while keeping his vision focused on one spot, he went to one of the islands and stood. Waiting. Waiting for Superman to recover and fight him. He could see him there, in space. Soaking up radiation.  
The real battle was about to commence.


	20. Chapter 20: Kal vs Kal

Chapter Twenty: Kal vs Kal

Waking up in space, slightly drifting away, is an odd sensation. For a moment you feel that you're dead. You're weightless, cold and very confused. The lack of air is scary. You choke, but for Clark it was for only a moment, this was not the first time that he had woken up in space.  
Looking at the sun, Superman felt its warmth. His body felt alive again. Energy seeped into him, like water into a water ballon. But unlike the balloon, Superman wouldn't explode from the intake. He felt alive, and he felt right. Then he heard it. Or rather, sensed it. The back breaking through a telepathic connection he didn't know he made with Superboy. And he didn't realise that was the case, either. He could feel Superboy's back breaking. The sound he heard in his head was jarring, and Superman turned to see Emmet tossing Superboy far away. He was not in the Himalayas, he was in the Pacific. Superman's eyes filled with red. The Justice League had failed. They had all failed.  
So how could he win?  
He'd lost already. He couldn't do this.  
Not by doing it the way he had so far.  
The only way to beat Emmet was to give it everything, to try and kill him. But not to kill him, no. Because if he did that, then he was as bad as Emmet, as Luthor and any other criminal he has had to fight. By killing Emmet, he would become Emmet, and then it wouldn't matter which copy won, as they would truly be the same. That meant that Superman would have to try and make sure that he held off the last punch. But Superman wasn't like Batman, would he truly know when the punch wold be the final blow? And could he really bring himself to fight himself? An errant self, sure, but still himself.  
Until that point, adrenaline and the support of the Justice League had suffocated this question. But here, now, alone and in a moment of respite, it came crashing down upon him. This was himself, his own self. Not a recently made copy of himself, not a copy as a consequence of probability, but his own person, him. Was this him?  
But it wasn't. Emmet was just a super powered Kryptonian. Just like Zod. Just like Faora. They were bad people. They were evil. And Superman had to defend his planet, whatever the cost might be, he would defend his planet from anyone wishing to take control of it.  
He was the only one left to do so.  
Soaking one last bit of sun, he turned around and flew downwards. The heat of entering the atmosphere was extreme and at one with the anger that Superman felt. For the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to feel the full extent of his rage, and didn't stifle it, but let it flow and energise him.  
He flew down to Emmet, who hadn't taken his eyes off Superman. They were standing on an island no larger than a hundred square feet. It was small and completely devoid of plants. There was a rock where Emmet was standing. And Emmet put his hand on the rock. A light glowed from the rock and Superman could feel the air become alive. Far away on the horizon, he saw a dome form. It encased a large area and extended high up into the sky, and down into the water.  
"What are you doing?" asked Superman, his fists clenched.  
"I have decided to make our battle more private. No more interruptions. I have defeated them. They know their place now and will serve me without question, like all broken beasts. But as long as you live free to do as you please I will not be able to make a heaven of this planet. I tried, brother, I tried to make you see my point of you. I have given you more time to ask and debate the issue with me than I have given any other person. I really thought you would be more like me, more sensible. But you are not, and I will not let you stand in the way of this planet's happiness. You will die."  
"Happiness? You mean enslavement. And I am not about to let that happen."  
"Then you will need to kill me. This technology, courtesy of Lexcorp, monitors our life signatures. Unless one of them ends, the dome will stay up. And you will not break it, no one can. It feeds off energy. Each blow will only strengthen it."  
"So I'm supposed to kill you?"  
"No. You are supposed to die!"  
Superman felt a heavy weight fall on him. Emmet was using telekinesis. Emmet's eyes were a crimson red. He was prepared to kill. To do what he deemed necessary. Superman had to match that ferocity if he wanted to live. To save this planet, he may have to forget everything his parents have taught him. He may even need to forfeit his soul  
Superman sent a short blast of heat vision at Emmet. The distraction was enough for Emmet to lose focus and stop using his telekinesis on Superman, which meant Superman was able to fly and land a punch right on Emmet's face. Superman had learnt a lot from Batman. These fights were not for television, standing in a cool pose after a punch is idiotic. You press your attack. This fight was not going to be pretty in any sense. Superman punched a second and third time, the fourth time was blocked and he was sent upwards with a devastating uppercut. The sea line had receded from the island as each blow sent water further and further back due to the force. Doomsday, Darkseid, Brainiac... None compared to this fight. Doomsday was an unthinking monster, and not as powerful as Superman. Darkseid was a god, you couldn't really kill him anyway. But this? This was fighting himself, it was like punishing himself for mistakes he'd made, but knowing that it wasn't the answer.  
Emmet followed the uppercut with a kick to the stomach. Superman caught the foot and lifted Emmet over his head like a sledgehammer and smashed him head first on the other side. Blood trickled from Emmet's lip. Heat vision erupted from Emmet's hand. Superman didn't even know to expect that. He got it square in the face, and it hurt. Terribly. Superman couldn't see, the sting from the blast was still hurting him. He heard a whooshing sound of a cape. Emmet was slightly above him by the sound of the cape and his heartbeat.  
"How...?" asked Superman, hoping to stall for time to regain his sight.  
"You have such a narrow vision of your powers. Your sight is able to generate a concentrated beam of heat, but you have that same capability in every cell in your body. But you never dared to push yourself, to test your limits. Never!" Emmet's heel smashed into Superman's nose, hitting just a millisecond after Superman was able to see properly again. The crunch of a broken nose did not escape either combatants. Emmet hit Superman in the face as Superman raised his head in reaction to the kick. It knocked Superman sideways. Emmet went for a cross punch, but Superman dodged it and went for a kidney punch. Batman had told him once that punches to the face are all well and good, but it can easily be the body shots that will defeat an enemy. He never liked listening to Batman or Wonder Woman explain how to defeat enemies, but he was glad some of it did sink in. The shot had an effect, and Superman followed it with a punch to the stomach and a head-butt to Emmet's nose. Now both of them had a bleeding nose.  
Emmet smiled a sly, malicious smile. Superman was trying not to think. He knew what would happen if he did.  
"You don't have to do this, Emmet. You can decide to leave."  
"No I cannot!" yelled Emmet and punched Superman in the stomach, another uppercut and a kick to the side of the leg, "life is not all blue skies and rainbows. It is not a fairytale," said Emmet as his punch to Superman's face was blocked and Superman punched Emmet's teeth, "it is not pretty. It is harsh. Grotesque. Filled with evil! Filled with violence!"  
"Maybe. But it is also filled with hope!" said Superman as he kicked Emmet's exposed ribs.  
"Why are you so naive? Evil must be crushed at all cost!"  
"I'm not. I had great parents who taught me the value of life and respect for freedom."  
"You are me, but naive."  
"Why are you so cruel?"  
"I am not cruel!" said Emmet, as air rushed out of him when Superman punched him in the ribs again, "I am not cruel, luckily I was raised by strong people, who showed me how to make a planet prosper."  
"I am sorry to tell you, but you were raised by evil parents."  
"Not everyone gets a Ma and Pa Kent!" said Emmet as he flew at Superman. Superman dodged and used Emmet's cape to pull him back and he went to punch him but instead got blasted with heat vision from the oncoming Emmet, and then what felt like a huge weight pushed him to the ground.  
"Not everyone gets to grow up with loving and honourable parents. But sadly you did. You got a childhood protected from evil, and therefore you cannot see it," said Emmet as Superman struggled to get on his knees, struggled against the invisible weight that was on top of him, "you fight something that you do not understand. Your parents shielded you, and now you try and shield others. You are pathetic. Why shield a city when you can destroy the attackers? Ma and pa Kent… idiotic! You idolise fools!"  
"You may think so, but you're just as bad as the evil you fight. I'd rather be a fool fighting for goodness than a hypocrite creating what I wish to destroy!" With that Superman got up and shoulder charged Emmet, this sent Emmet clear off what remained of the island. Superman was hot on his trail, landing a punch on Emmet's face when Emmet looked to see where Superman was. Superman came to land another blow but got kicked away. Emmet flew up and dived down at Superman, who was flying up to meet him. Each one punched the other. The force was so great, that the water underneath them moved, and one could see the ocean bed. They both went sprawling away. Superman went down under water and Emmet smacked against the forcefield he created.  
Shaking off the pain of the impact, Emmet surveyed the area, looking for Superman. The few islands around the area were deserted, and the water seemed to be still without a living organism in them. But he wasn't dead, that was for certain. Reaching out with his mind, he searched.  
"Aaarghhhnn!" Cried Emmet, and fell to the water. Gripping his head for dear life.  
"Do you really think that would work on me again?" asked Superman.  
Emmet opened his eyes, he was hunched over mid-air, and his eyes were staring right at Superman's feet. Red armour boots shining from being bathed in the water of the Pacific Ocean. Emmet looked up and a fist crashed into him. He was able to stay where he was, but it hurt. A lot. His nose was shattered, and he may have fractured a cheek bone.  
"I fought telepaths. I learnt how to defend myself from such attacks." A knee smashed into Emmet's face. "You destroyed anyone who could give you opposition. Makes it hard to practice. Hard to learn how to overcome adversity." Three punches to the stomach and then a kick to the chest. "You have no friends to teach you how to fight. You figured it out all for yourself." Kick to the leg, an upper cut to the chin. "It's admirable, really." Another two punches. "But I fought Darkseid. Brainiac. Doomsday. Bizzaro and many others. I have saved this Earth many times. Saved countless of lives." He grabbed Emmet by the scruff. Superman's eyes were glowing red. Emmet's face was destroyed, his body was hurt badly. "And I will not let you take this planet!"  
Knee to the face and then as many punches as he could land. The punches sent them to a different island. Emmet was being battered. Superman's rage had never been this great. He had fought people that wanted to enslave and destroy Earth before. But this was different. This was him. This was a very possible version of him that would want to enslave the Earth. It would have been too easy for Superman to pick sides in world conflicts and force his will, but there was always a chance that he would have picked the wrong side.  
Punch after punch he landed on the Emmet's body, creating a great crater in the island. His vision was so blurry, so red with fury, that he barely saw what he was hitting. Emmet's blood was on his hands and face, but Superman didn't pay any attention to it.  
"Superman! Enough!" It was Wonder Woman, he could barely hear her. She was so far away. But she was shouting. Superman's vision cleared. Emmet was a battered blob: face and body shattered. He was alive, but only just. Superman looked up. Beyond the barrier, there she was. She was standing there, next to Batman. She was bandaged and both her arms were in a sling. She was broken, his super vision showed him that. He looked back at Emmet. At his bloody hands.  
Picking up Emmet, he flew over to the island where the machine was and set Emmet down in the crater that was once the island. He shattered the rock next to him, turning the device off. The forcefield came down and two seconds later came an ARGUS jet. Inside was a cage. A red solar cage. Superman moved to the side of the ditch and allowed the jet to land. Five men came out, guns pointing forwards. They looked at Superman, his hands were bloody. Superman's face was bruised and battered. One hand was holding his side where a couple of ribs were broken. The men walked towards the ditch and stopped short, lowering their guns. Their blank expressions did not escape Superman. They were shocked, this had not happened yet. Not with him.  
"Come on people! Move it!" yelled Trevor, and the men loaded Emmet onto the jet and into the cage. He would be safe there, Superman knew that. He'd exhausted all of Emmet's suit's solar charge as well as probably most of Emmet's strength. He was going to be recovering for a while, especially given that the cell was housing a very large concentration of red solar radiation. The jet took off and Superman stayed where he was, next to a crater that was once an island, water started to fill the crater, the soft tide slowly erasing the battle that took place there. Blood stains were still visible on the ground. How could he let it get so out of control?  
Wonder Woman flew over to Superman and stood beside him, they were both looking at the crater, the water beyond started to calm, the dead fish that were crushed by the force of the blows came to the shore. Bloody water everywhere.  
"You had no choice. This was an enemy you couldn't subdue, couldn't defeat without crushing him completely," said Wonder Woman, her head on his shoulder.  
"I was about to kill him, and I didn't even know it. I knew I had to hit him with everything I had, but I wasn't going to stop."  
"Clark, you didn't have a choice," she felt him shivering. Shaking from the adrenaline. From the guilt. Superman always found another way. He would never take a life, especially not unbeknownst to himself. And here he was, a man who had lost control. A man who, if that were to happen at any other time, could end the world. End the life of the superheroes as they know it.  
"I... I was so angry. Angry at him... angry at myself," said Superman, still shaking.  
"Why?"  
"Because he was right. In many ways he is right. If I chose a side, or chose to intervene… I could save people. I can stop all evil… But I don't. Because then I will become that same despotic evil. But how many die while I don't? How many lives have been lost because I didn't?"  
"Far less than those that have hope because of you. Have an ideal to believe in. You embody hope like no one else can. You make them believe that they have a choice. If you take that away by becoming like Emmet, then you will destroy everyone's life. And when you die, because even you will die someday Clark, then there will be no good to look up to. It will all have been for nothing."  
"I guess so." But the horrible fact was still there: no one could stop him. Meeting Diana and Bruce, Clark had thought there was a way to keep him in check. But now... Now he knew. There was no plan. He could do as he pleased.  
"Clark," said Diana, "you can do as you please. Always. But remember: there are an infinite number of supermen, but there is only one true Clark Kent."  
That made Superman smile. He hadn't killed Emmet, he had friends to make sure he hadn't. That was the point, he didn't need a physical force to keep him the way he was, it was their belief in him that made him who he is. He was just a guy. Just a man. He had no right to force his will on others, he could only protect them.


	21. Chapter 21: Epilogue

Chapter Twenty One: Epilogue

"The Himalayas have been almost completely levelled and local authorities are blaming the Justice League for this devastation. The Justice League's correspondent, Steve Trevor, made a statement stating that, and I quote, 'the places in which we fight can't always be picked. We were lucky we managed to keep it away from civilians, and while the natural habitat has sadly been severely damaged, there isn't always anything we can do about it.' Words that, while possibly true, are nevertheless hard to digest as the local community reels from the devastation of their landscape. The criminal known as Emmet is being held in custody at an undisclosed location-"  
Batman shut the feed off. The cave was cold and dark, as was always the case. But this time he felt a chill crawl upon him, washing him with the memory of Emmet's hand around his throat. Unconsciously his hand went to his throat. It was hard for him to think of that hand as not belonging to Superman. It felt the same. And all the metahumans couldn't stop him. And that threat... Never again. He will never be at the mercy of someone stronger, he made that vow a long time ago. He stared at the screens in front of him. The designs for a suit that could stop Superman, next to it a plan to stop him.  
Never again.  
"Diana," said Batman, not even looking at her, he knew she was there. He always knew who was in his cave.  
"Bruce. What am I looking at?"  
"My designs for a counter-measure."  
"What counter-measure?"  
"We need to be prepared."  
"For Emmet?"  
"For Superman."  
Silence.  
"Bruce-"  
"No, Diana. We both saw that we cannot defeat Superman if he doesn't want to be defeated."  
"Clark is our friend," said Diana, moving a step closer towards Batman's seated form.  
"But Superman may not be."  
"Don't split him into two. He's not you, Bruce. He is always Clark Kent. Like he is always Superman. He doesn't hide himself. Not ever."  
"And what happens if he turns? If he changes?" Batman stood up and turned around to look squarely at Diana, wondering if a new counter-measure should be created for her.  
"Then your counter-measures will mean nothing. He could kill you while being in the stratosphere. This plan won't work."  
"It will. He will always try and talk me out of fighting him. It will work."  
"If we need to stop him, it won't be Batman that will do it. It will be Bruce. That has always been the case with Clark. All he needs in order to be himself is his friends."  
"What if it doesn't work?"  
"It will, Bruce."  
"Hrmm."  
They stood there silently for a moment, neither willing to look at the other.  
"I'm going to go, Bruce. I understand you're afraid of losing. But this is not necessary."  
"Bye, Diana. And thank you. Your insight is valuable."  
Wonder Woman didn't put a hand on his shoulder, didn't act comfortingly. A part of her was disgusted that Batman would behave in this way. But she knew him. Batman is not looking to defeat Superman. He is looking to regain his control. His composure. He will never need to put any of this into action. She flew away, away to see what she could do to help mankind.  
"You can come out now, Queen."  
Green Arrow emerged from the shadows, "so you don't agree with Wonder Woman?" asked Green Arrow, arms crossed and leaning on a cave wall.  
"I agree. For now. Things can change. I may need you for a part of this, if the time ever came when Superman would have a change of heart."  
"I'm all ears."

Superman stood on the Watchtower deck, looking at the planet he had sworn to protect. His body had healed but not the spirit. Not completely. It will take time before Superman was back to being who he had been before. This job changed people, it changed them all. But that's not always a bad thing. It's why I'm here, he thought.  
Dick Grayson walked over to Superman. He was allowed access by Batman but rarely used it. There'd been no reason for him to go there before, but there was one now. A long time ago Superman had told him the legend of Nightwing on Krypton. He'd given Dick the courage to leave Batman and become his own man.  
"So, still can't shake off the shadow, huh?"  
Superman turned towards the voice, a smile came up, that Superman smile that made you feel hope. Feel safe. Like everything was going to be alright. But it was a little hollow now. A little empty.  
"Not yet, what brings you here?"  
"You. I know what you're thinking," said Nightwing as we walked over to the window.  
"You do, huh?"  
"I'm not a kid."  
"I know. I noticed that when you decided to do your own thing."  
"Exactly why I'm here. Batman was the epitome, the absolute. I felt that way for a long time. But that's not the case. He was one way. I chose another. Same for you. You're gripping with the wrong question." They both turned to look out the window.  
"And what's that?" Superman turned towards Nightwing, looking fondly on the young man that has grown so wise over the last few years.  
"You're asking yourself what's the right way to do it. That's the wrong question. The real question you need to answer is: what's your way of doing things, and is it the right way for you?" Nightwing turned and looked at Superman as he spoke, his face didn't have his mask on, and his entire countenance was trusting, almost embracing. It was inspiring.  
"Hmm. What would Batman say about that?"  
"He'd agree that we each have to choose a path, a way of living and to then live by it. Without compromise."  
"So what you're saying is that I'm not doing it right?"  
"I'm saying there is no right," said Dick, "that Emmet character thought he was right. History is full of those people. I've been beating those kind of people up since I was a kid. You two were mega powers, and when two powers clash over a difference war erupts. The difference here is that you and Emmet have the same DNA. Completely. You're copies of one another. I felt like I was the same with Batman. That he and I were the same. I learnt from you that we're not. And I don't have to be. Just because someone who is like you picked a way of living doesn't mean you have to pick the same. You fought for what you believed in, that's noble. And it's the best one can hope for. You taught me that. Don't let Emmet change you. You are already the right person." Dick rose in grandeur while he spoke, and at the same time became less and less Nightwing and more himself. Less of a prodigy and more of a man in his own right.  
"It's not just that, Dick. I… I've been angry. So angry since Helspont started. Since it all started… I couldn't control it."  
"I get that. You're worried that this was the sign that the downfall of your ideals is happening, aren't you?"  
Superman said nothing. He just looked down on the planet.  
"I get it," said Dick, "we are always afraid of losing control, of crossing that line we don't want to cross. That we can't cross. But I can tell you this: Every one of us has had those moments. Those moments when we lost it. The difference between us and them is that we don't want to do it. Even if we feel like we do."  
"Dick… I saw red. I didn't care what I was going to do to him. I didn't think."  
"You can't always think, Supes. It's why we have friends. To keep us from doing the wrong thing. To remind us of who we are." Dick put his hand on Superman's shoulder.  
Superman tried a small smile as Dick removed it.  
"I know you," said Dick, "you won't let this go. Word of advice: don't. Remember this, remember what it takes to defeat an enemy like that. And next time one comes along, you'll know how hard to hit, how many times, and when to stop. Every person, each and every one of them, had to find out things like that at some stage. Especially the super powered ones. What makes you the best of us is more than your ideals and powers, it's that you have the best friends to help you. And that you keep them close. Rely on them. It's your greatest strength."  
"Thanks Dick," said Superman and put his hand on Grayson's shoulder. He could see why Batman liked him so much, why Batman wanted him for a partner. He was hopeful. And he let you partake in it as well. A load seemed to leave Superman's shoulders. Dick was right, he'll know for next time. Just like each time he made a mistake, he learnt from it. It's been three weeks since then, and the world still needs Superman, and he will always do his best. And his best has just gotten a bit better.  
Dick smiled at him and walked away.  
"Can't stay here all day, someone has to keep the criminals in check," said Dick as he disappeared through the teleporter.  
Superman smiled and looked at Earth. This was the planet he protected. His way. He'd let Emmet change him slightly. But only temporarily, not in his essence. He still fought for what he believed in, and in the way he believed he should fight.  
That's all that matters.


End file.
